Beauty 

WW AND 

Health 

Cora Brown Potter 




Book 2^2± 



Copyright N° 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE SECRETS OF BEAUTY 
MYSTERIES OF HEALTH 




Cora Brown Potter as Calypso in " Ulysses." 



THE SECRETS OF BEAUTY 
MYSTERIES OF HEALTH 



< 



BEING PRACTICAL 

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE RIGHT CARE 

OF THE PERSON TOGETHER WITH 

A COLLECTION OF VALUABLE 

RECEIPTS PERTAINING TO 

HEALTH & BEAUTY GATHERED 

DURING THE AUTHOR'S STAGE 

EXPERIENCES & TRAVELS IN 

ALL PARTS OF THE 

WORLD 

BY 

CORA BROWN POTTER 




PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY 
SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK 



Copyright , 1908 
by Paul Elder and Company 



Entered at Stationers'' Hall 
London 



I 1 wo Copies Seceswdd 

j MAR 23 S 908 

/?W 2 3 f<?6?\ 
ii 0OWY S, 



« 



\ * 



The Tomoye Press 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Introduction — — — — — — vii 

Chapter 

I. Aids to Beauty 

Beauty and Sleep — — — — i 

Beauty and Exercise — — — 7 

Beauty and Diet — — — — 14 

Occasional Remedies — — — 23 

Chronic Constipation — — — 28 

II. The Skin, Hair and Nails 

Importance of the Skin — — 40 

Structure of the Skin — — — 44 

Structure of the Hair — — — $3 

Structure of the Nails — — — 59 

III. Care of the Skin 

Cold Baths — — — — 62 

Warm Baths — — — — 65 

Medicated Baths — — — 68 

IV. The Hair 

A Great Aid to Beauty — — — 73 

Care of the Hair — — — 79 

Preparations for the Hair — — 81 

Washing the Hair — — — 87 

Shampoos — — — — — 89 

Cutting the Hair — — — 92 

Massage of the Scalp — — — 93 

Care of Hair at Night — — — 94 

The Hair-Brush — — — — 94 

[Hi] 



CONTENTS 

Chapter 

IV. The Hair — Continued p agk 

Scurf — — — — — 96 

Baldness — — — — — 100 

Gray Hair — — — — 104 

Hair Dyes — — — — — 107 

Metallic Dyes — — — — 108 

Walnut Dye — — — — — 114 

Bleaching the Hair — — — 115 

Chemical Dyes — — — — 117 

V. The Eyes, Nose and Ears 

The Eyes — — — — 118 

The Nose — — — - — — 122 

The Ears — — — — 124 

VI. The Face 

Power of Beauty — — — — 127 

The Care of the Face — — — 130 

Face Massage — — — — 133 

Theatrical Make-up — — — 138 

Face Powders — — — — 142 

Face Lotions and Creams — — 145 

Protection from Heat and Cold — — 149 

Facial Cosmetics — — — 152 

Complexion Improvers — — — 156 

Depilatories — — — — 159 

Acne or Blackheads — — — 160 

Pimples — — — — — 170 

VII. The Mouth and Teeth 

Treatment in Different Countries — 171 

The Lips — — — — — 172 

Mouth Breathing — — — — 173 

Dentifrices — — — — 174 

Care of the Teeth — — — — 174 

[iv] 



CONTENTS 

Chapter 

VII. The Mouth and Teeth — Continued p A0 « 

Mouth Washes — — — — 177 

Care of the Gums — — — 178 

The Tongue — — — — — 179 

The Teeth in the Tropics — — 180 

VIII. The Hands 

Past and Present Measures to Beautify — 183 
Manicure — — — — — 190 
Manual Cosmetics — — — — 195 
Sulphur — — — — — 199 
Camphor — — — — — 199 
Quince-Seed — — — — 200 
Decolorization of the Skin — — 202 

Chapped Hands — — — 203 

IX. The Feet 

Treatment in the East — — — 206 
Corns — — — — — 208 
Ingrown Toe-Nails — — — 212 

Chilblains — — — — 213 

Tender Feet — — — — — 215 
Prickly Heat — — — — 216 
Sores on the Feet — — — — 218 
Blisters — — — — — 218 
The Ankle and Instep — — — 219 
Massage of the Feet ■ — — — 222 
Mechanical Treatment of Flat Feet — 223 
High Heels — — — — 223 

X. The Torso 

Unique Characteristics of the Human 

Torso — — — — — 225 
Binding and Lacing — — — 228 

Development of the Torso — — 236 



CONTENTS 

Chapter 

X. The Torso — Continued 

The Torso and Voice Production — 239 

Types of Figures — — — 240 

Epilogue — — — — — — — 247 

Index — — — — — — — 249 



[vi] 



INT ROD UCTION 

To be beautiful is possible to all, because each indi- 
vidual has something which he alone possesses — a 
specific speck of perfection which belongs supremely 
to himself — a God-given gift of Mother Nature. 

Once we realize this fact, it is most interesting and 
beneficial to bring up what is inadequate in us to a 
high state of cultivated perfection, a state which is 
possible for all. I venture to place before you these 
suggestions, these receipts, these facts, which I have 
found true friends. Let us go hand in hand, brain to 
brain, together through these pages on a so-to-speak 
crusade in the cause of health and beauty! 

*1* *X» *.!* *£• vt> «A» 

«T» <£■ <f* <f* *r» •X* 

The study of the beautiful, the desire to attain the 
ideal of human perfection, the restless yearning im- 
planted in our innermost selves for all that is best and 
noblest, materialized in the love of the beautiful, has 
played a part in the world's history second only in 
importance to religion and war. It appears to me that 
our civilization comes down to us on a triple wave, 
rolling down over and submerging us — the wave of 
religion, the wave of war and the wave of the beauti- 
ful — out of which we emerge as the world finds us 
today. 

The beautiful has been studied in two totally 

[vii] 



INTRODUCTION 

distinct and different ways — the intangible and the 
tangible; the former is the method of the painter, the 
poet and the sculptor; the latter is practised by every 
daughter of Eve. 

The worship of the beautiful is materialized by 
every one in a different way, as each one of us has 
different gifts, — the painter by his brush and colors, 
the sculptor by his mallet and chisel, the poet by his 
pen, each brings out the God-given gift which glows 
and burns within him. In this way have we gained 
all that we most prize, — those great monuments of 
sculpture and architecture, those splendid canvases 
which in their true and life-like coloring make the 
glories of the past live with us today, those master- 
pieces of poetry and prose which do more to enrich 
our intellects and to lift up our minds than any other 
legacy we have received from our forefathers. Of 
these I will not here speak ; I wish merely to tell my 
readers what I have seen and what has impressed me 
in a life of travel and work. 

fust as each individual differs in the method in 
which he or she studies beauty, so do nations : one of 
the great lessons of history is that those peoples who 
have been devoted most to the care and development 
of their bodies have been most distinguished for their 
intellectual achievements, while the neglect of, or want 
of appreciation in, the beautiful is the sign of a de- 
cadent race, or the mark of one that has made but 
little advance along the road that leads to civilization. 

Perhaps the greatest lovers of culture and beauty 

[viii] 



INTRODUCTION 

the world has ever seen, or will ever see, were the 
ancient Greeks. 

With them religion was the worship of beauty ; the 
gods who reigned on the heights of Olympus were 
merely the idealization of different types of beauty; 
their youths developed to the utmost their bodies in the 
gymnasium, striving by exercise and games to produce 
that wonderful symmetry of form, that grace and elas- 
ticity of strength, which has been so marvelously por- 
trayed in their statues ; their women prayed ever for 
beautiful children, and ever kept some rare and perfeB 
statue in their apartments, so that by always feasting 
their eyes on the lovely they might become mothers of 
still more lovely offspring; in their eyes ugliness or 
deformity was a sin, a thing accursed of the gods, and 
one to be expelled from the city or the state. 

In the centuries that are with us no more, the 
chosen type of beauty was generally symbolized by the 
male ; at present the fashion has changed, — a lovely 
woman is the favorite model. In poetry it is now very 
much the fashion even to give flowers and the elements 
sex. 

It is only since the days of medieval chivalry that 
beauty has been, as it were, given over to our sex ; it 
is only in the last few centuries that our soft skins and 
fair complexions, our flowing locks and rounded forms, 
have been considered the highest and most perfedi types 
of human grace. It is strange, yet perhaps natural, 
that we should be the only genus in the whole animal 
kingdom in which the females have surpassed the males 

[ix] 



INTRODUCTION 

in beauty. One need only note the gorgeous plumage 
and inspiring song of male birds, the great many- 
branched antlers of the stag, and the thousand and one 
other devices by which nature adorns the male, while 
she leaves the female plain and inconspicuous. 

Having thus only late in the world* s history won 
our position as queens of beauty, a position almost an- 
alogous to that of the Grecian goddesses, it behooves us 
to see that by no fault or carelessness on our part can 
we be dislodged from the pedestal on which we stand. 

The study of beauty necessarily entails the study of 
health ; the two go hand in hand; the one can never 
be divorced from the other; while it is the combination 
of a healthy body and a pure mind that makes for 
happiness. This brings me to the second part of my 
book, the part that is really the more important of the 
two, for health is the only true and lasting foundation 
on which beauty can be built. 

This is really so obvious, so commonplace, that we 
are often inclined to miss it, for it is a strange char- 
acteristic of the human mind to seek out some difficult 
or abstruse reason or argument when a perfectly simple 
one lies to our hand. 

When it is remarked how well any one looks, what 
is meant is that, first, the individual is in perfetl 
health, in the full enjoyment of all her faculties, ex- 
hilarated by the very tide of life that throbs in her 
veins, showing by every ac~l and gesture that she feels 
to the full that wondrous joy of living, — in short, 
that she is the embodiment of the beauty of health; 



INTRODUCTION 

secondly, that she is handsome or beautiful, that she is 
well dressed and that her toilet has been performed 
with taste and care. The union of health and beauty 
has ever, and will ever, be the great power of our sex. 

Such is the teaching of history. All the great 
women who have left behind them a name that lives, 
whose lives have altered the destiny of nations and 
whose aBions have swayed thousands — women like 
Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Rosamond, or Mary Queen 
of Scots, — all have shown the power of beauty and 
the charm of health. 

Tet this was not their only grace ; they were not 
alone physically beautiful, but were possessed in the 
highest degree with that infinitely more rare and 
precious beauty, — the beauty of the mind and spirit. 
This it is that transforms a plain woman into a charm- 
ing one, and makes one that is beautiful brilliant with 
splendor and unapproachable in grace and fascination ; 
this it is that shines out of our visages and expression, 
giving that endless vivacity, that deep and generous 
goodness, which, sparkling through our eyes, makes our 
faces as the face of an angel. 

This spirit beauty is the most ethereal and elusive 
of all loveliness ; it is, strange as it may seem, easy to 
cultivate; it is possible, if we will, to develop this 
spark of the divine flame we possess till it shines forth 
like the beams of some great beacon, glancing and 
shimmering over the waste of waters. 

In every clime, on every shore, have I striven to 
cull the essence of beauty and the mysteries of health, 

[xi] 



INTRODUCTION 

and to learn from every race wherein lay the secret of 
their beauty power, and how they worked with nature 
to develop and amplify those charms which are their 
national and individual characteristics. The record of 
these travels was written at random and only for my 
own private use and amusement ; the people that I 
met, and their doings, interested me. I culled the 
secrets of the North, East, South and West — the 
gentle manners of the South delighted me, — and I 
picked out what appeared to me to be good from the 
customs of our sisters in the West and North. These 
jottings were only, as it were, the log of a wandering 
and storm-tossed bark, each incident noted as it occurred, 
each recipe taken down roughly from the lips of the 
donor. It was suggested to me lately that perhaps I 
had gathered something that may have been out of the 
reach of my less-traveled sisters, and so with all diffi- 
dence I submit this volume to the public. 

As I write these lines in my flat in the Savoy, the 
table and floor in front of me are Uttered with a mass 
of papers I have just shaken out of an old Florentine 
brocaded silk bag which was my constant companion 
in all my wanderings. These papers are of all sizes 
and of every hue; on each is written some receipt or 
prescription, something to recall to me days in other 
climes and countries, something just as I first jotted it 
down, many of them crushed and faded through use, 
but all bringing back to me something. I take up a 
crumpled sheet of yellow Indian paper and carefully 
spread it out; immediately the room i?i which I sit 

[xii] 



INTRODUCTION 

fades away, the London roar, which vibrates in a sub- 
dued and not unpleasant undertone, is replaced by a 
soft, wailing Indian chant. I see no longer the well- 
known furniture, nor the dull gray light that fitfully 
gleams from the Thames, now swollen by the rains, 
but a huge sunlit court filled with tropical trees and 
flowers, surrounded by a colonnade of strangely sculp- 
tured pillars which support the pointed Indian arches 
quaintly picked out in purple and gold, while above 
them stretches in an unbroken surface a wall of pure 
white marble. 

In the center, polished steps lead down to a tank of 
clear, pellucid water which nestles under the dark 
green foliage and refiedls from its broad bosom the 
feathery palms that rise up and up into the blue sky 
above. 

Under every arch are curtains of spangled muslin, 
some drawn aside, some hanging loose in the evening 
breeze, only half hiding small, dusky chambers, car- 
peted with rich rugs and piled with cushions of every 
hue. All these chambers are not equally beautiful; 
in some the carpets are old and worn, the cushions 
faded and threadbare, and the whole apartment pre- 
sents an air of shabby and tawdry splendor. They, 
however, only serve as a foil to heighten the brilliancy 
of some few others, which shine resplendent with all 
that eastern luxury and opulence can suggest. 

The court is full of women, some sitting in their 
chambers (for to each does one of them belong); some 
walking to and fro; some squatting on the ground, 

[ xiii ] 



INTRODUCTION 

listening to a tale of love and war, or of the glorious 
deeds of some heroic conqueror, or an account of the 
beauty of some majestic queen, while others softly 
croon their mournful eastern ditties. 

Most of the women are old and wrinkled, with 
snowy hair and thin, frail forms, yet they all show by 
an unmistakable pride and bearing that they have once 
been beautiful and fair, that they have once been 
queens of the zenana, for this is the zenana of an 
Indian prince. Here and there, however, may be seen 
Indian girls, young and beautiful, decked in strings of 
pearls, and carrying perhaps a pigeon-blood ruby on 
their thumb, with the soft, dark hair of the Oriental, 
with wondrous eyes shining with that half-revealed, 
half-conce ale d fire of their sun-kissed land, with long, 
dark, drooping lashes which shade, yet intensify, the 
luster of their eyes, with soft, supple limbs clothed in 
fiowing silks and muslins, and ankles ringed with 
golden bangles. 

Here have I passed many curious hours, pleasantly 
wiled away by tales of beauty and art, of receipts 
handed down from generation to generation, and of 
defects hidden by skill and care in the toilet. Not 
only were these told me, but I was given a lesson in 
all their arts. My hands were manicured and my 
nails painted according to their custom ; they massaged 
my face, touched up my eyes with their black pigment, 
and, lastly, they dropped belladonna in them. This had 
an almost disastrous effect, for it nearly blinded me for 
the next three or four days, and the fierce glare of the 

[xivj 



INTRODUCTION 

footlights beating in upon my widely dilated pupils was 
almost unbearable, 

I pick up a large pink sheet, and am in an instant 
transported to that great new continent of the South 
more quickly than if I possessed the magic carpet of 
the fable. I hear once more the wind rustle through 
the forests of eucalyptus and gum trees, — strange Aus- 
tralian forests, where the trees shed their bark and not 
their leaves. I see again the tall, deep-bosomed daugh- 
ters of the South, the stalwart, happy children of a 
new land. I hear again tales of bush life and gold 
nuggets, tales of priceless El Dorados found in a night 
and gambled away in another, tales of the gold fever, 
the germs of which we all possess, and which needs 
but the opportunity of time and place to make it break 
forth into the frenzied delirium of lust. 

Here, too, have I heard tales of health and disease, 
accounts of the home-made remedies of the squatter and 
the bushman, remedies often of marvelous efficacy. 

Thus seated in my room, I travel again the whole 
broad world; I receive once more a smiling welcome 
from far-away, dainty Japan; I visit anew the huge, 
majestic rivers of the tropics, and the half -known forest 
lands they drain, where plants and trees all unknown 
to us flourish in luxuriant magnificence, and where the 
tresses of the native women put to shame the highest 
art of a Parisian coiffure. 

In these wanderings, too, have I stumbled, all un- 
suspecting, on what may be called the history of devel- 
opment of beauty, a piBure quite unseen by me at the 

[XV] 



INTRODUCTION 

time, but now, seen through the space of years, one 
which stands out in strong and true perspective. 

I can see as I sit here in the heart of London, half 
dreaming over the past, the whole cult of beauty, that 
wondrous throng of worshipers standing before the 
shrine of the ideal woman, each supplicating for some 
gift to raise her superior to her surroundings, or pray- 
ing to be delivered from the ban of some disfigurement. 

I have said before that we only won our place as 
queens of beauty late in this world's history; the cult 
of beauty is far older, of far longer standing than our 
brilliantly varnished civilization. It dates from the 
birth of prosperity, and is contemporary with the first 
rude barterings which have expanded into our vast 
trade. 

Before this time, when the earth was peopled with 
barbarous wandering tribes, when polygamy existed, 
and a woman was her husband' s, both body and soul, 
to keep alive or destroy as he thought fit; then what 
was prized were sinews of steel and the muscles of an 
athlete, for then the women did all the work; they 
tilled the ground with rude instruments of fiint and 
stone, they dressed the hides of the animals their lords 
had killed in the chase, they drew the water, they 
hewed the wood, and a woman's worth was exadlly 
proportional to her power of doing work. 

When the tribe became more prosperous, when barter 
'twixt clan and clan sprang up, and with it exchange 
of ideas, then, and then only, did the first ray of dawn- 
ing day fall on benighted woma?i. For it was only then 

[xvi] 



INTRODUCTION 

that the rude tribesman became rich enough and intelli- 
gent enough to distinguish between a virago of thews 
and sinews and a soft and dainty creature and to dif- 
ferentiate between a slave and a wife. 

The development of trade brought riches in its train; 
this in turn stimulated the love of luxury and the desire 
for new and costly wearing apparel and for ornaments 
of beads or metaL With these man first decked and 
dressed himself out, fashioning copper bars into rude 
rings for his arms and ankles and making sumptuous 
garments for himself out of the new and costly stuff's. 
Having at length gratified his own personal vanity, he 
began to think of his surroundings ; he discovered that 
it was pleasing to the eye to gaze on the beautiful; he 
appreciated the charm of coloring, so he decorated his 
tent or cave ; later his wife was thus honored. 

As wealth increased, the love of ostentation and the 
spirit of rivalry and emulation caused the taste for per- 
sonal adornment to make rapid strides ; this spirit ac~led 
both on men and women, but in different ways. The 
man tried to outdo his fellow tribesmen, to have a 
larger house, a longer chain of slaves, and a more 
numerous retinue than they; while the women of the 
household tried to outdo each other, to improve their 
natural beauty by ornament, and later also by paints 
and powders ; thus they strove to win their lor d y s favor 
and so to wield an influence over him. 

This ostentation of wealth and accumulation of 
treasure led to the building of towns and cities, both 
for the purpose of mutual protection and to serve as 

[ xvii ] 



INTRODUCTION 

trade centers, while the herding of men together inside 
walls led to the enaBment of laws for the good and 
welfare of the individual citizen. These laws were 
at first very rude and primitive ; the head of the house 
was absolute within his house; he had the right of life 
and death over his own children, wives and slaves, 
but was bound by a rude code of honor to proteB them 
from the aggressions of another house ; while the heads 
of all the houses formed an assembly to discuss and 
arrange matters of common interest, such as the de- 
fense of the town against an invading foe. In later 
times, too, this council judged the private feuds 'twixt > 
house and house. 

Thus far have I traced up a stem that is common 
to all nations, but here the branches begin to divide, 
the different natures, ideas and religions of the peoples 
so bending and aBing on their minds as to cause them 
each to fashion out its individual civilization, each on 
its own lines. The necessary result of this is the differ- 
ent position held by women among the different nations 
of the world. 

The autocratic yet secretive nature of the Easterner 
led him to build zenanas and harems to proteB his 
wives from the prying eyes of every one, while they 
pass their lives in slothful ease and gentle, soft enjoy- 
ment, happy in the thought that their lords consider 
their beauty so wonderful and so rare that it must 
bloom for them and for them alone. 

Our more trustful and open western ideas have de- 
veloped us women to the highest pitch we have yet 

[xviii] 



INTRODUCTION 

reached. Even in Greece, that land of freedom and 
beauty ', the position of the woman was immeasurably 
inferior to ours today. 

This is no idle tale, no fantasy woven in the brain, 
but a true and living history that I, with feeble 
words, have tried to utter; this is a true picture — a 
picture as I have seen it in my wanderings up and 
down the world, — that I, with trembling strokes, have 
tried to paint. Any one who will, can see this drama, 
the greatest of all dramas, the drama of the emancipa- 
tion of woman, writ at large on the face of the earth. 
He can see the earlier scenes in all their darkness and 
depth of degradation in the African village; the 
second act also opens in the same dark continent, in 
the kraals and towns of the native chieftains; for the 
third act he must go to Asia ; while the last is played 
in our midst, played here in the streets of London, in 
this center of the world *s civilization, in the very 
heart of modern progress. 

We women are no longer puppets on the stage of 
life, placed here or there for show or effect by mere 
men; we are living, we are free, at last we are true 
citizenesses of the world, bound, not by the feudal ties 
of serfdom or fealty, but by the larger and ennobling 
bonds of citizenship and patriotism. Through centuries 
of darkness and oppression, through ages of doubt and 
despair, have we struggled and toiled till at length we 
have reached the glorious prize of liberty, which now 
is ours, ours, OURS! 

In this book I deal only with one side of beauty, — 

[xix] 



INTRODUCTION 

a part which may be called the mechanical side. The 
spiritual side is beyond its scope. I give no receipts 
that will bring back the freshness of innocence and 
the calm, clear light of trustfulness to the eyes of those 
who are dulled by the cloying pleasures of the senses or 
hardened and branded by the indelible stigma of sin. 

The beauty of the expression is an individual beauty 
that belongs to each one of us alone ; it is the outward 
and visible sign of the soul within us ; it is a glorious 
heritage, which we must, each one of us, enrich and 
enhance by our lives, our actions and our thoughts. 

The expression is the true gem of beauty. I dare 
only speak of the setting; we preserve or destroy the 
luster of the stone by our lives; in the one case it 
sparkles with increased splendor in a beautiful setting, 
in the other beauty is but a gilded tomb. 

Let us then so order our lives and regulate our 
actions that by deeds of love and generosity, that by 
beautiful and refined feelings, that by sentiments of 
kindness and gentleness, we purify and ennoble our 
souls and hearts and illumine the little sphere we 
shine in, till we radiate an angel's light in a dark 
and sordid world. Let us really be gentlewomen, all 
of us. 



[xx] 



Chapter I 

AIDS TO BEAUTY 

BEAUTY AND SLEEP 

OEven or eight hours of sleep are necessary for a 
man; a woman requires somewhat more, and 
should not sleep less than eight or nine hours out 
of the twenty-four. We cannot live without sleep 
for more than five or six days, while without food 
or drink death does not come on for about a fort- 
night ; thus taking nature as our guide and stand- 
ard, sleep is rated far above either exercise or 
food. 

We must spend care and thought over the bed- 
room, in which so much of our time, in fadt, the 
most important part of our time, is spent, — the 
chamber where we prepare our human frame to 
meet the strain of the day's chars, and where we 
lie down to heal us from the jars and knocks of 
the rough and buffeting world. 

This room should be large and airy, and, if pos- 
sible, the corner room of the house. This is im- 
portant for several reasons : First, much more light, 
especially sunlight, will enter if there are windows 
on two walls instead of only one — diredt sunlight 
is one of the best purifiers and germicides we pos- 
sess; secondly, it is much easier to ventilate such 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

a room at night; and thirdly, as we have fortu- 
nately chosen stone and bricks to build our houses 
of, there is a slight but sensible amount of venti- 
lation through their walls, a ventilation that ceases 
not day or night, and which is, of course, double 
in a corner room to what it would be in any 
other. It should always be fitted with a fireplace, 
as whether the fire is alight or not, the hearth is 
of immense help in ventilating the room; and for 
this reason, too, the chimney never should be 
closed with the trap so often supplied with modern 
grates. If it is found impossible to have a fire- 
place, a ventilator should be placed over the door, 
otherwise the room is unfit for sleeping in. 

The bedroom ought to be furnished with 
Spartan simplicity, — the floor covered with a 
square of carpet which leaves a wide border of 
either polished or stained boarding all round, on 
which the wardrobes and other heavy articles of 
furniture stand, so that the carpet may easily be 
taken up and cleaned. Nicknacks and bric-a-brac 
are quite out of place in a bedroom; they are 
merely dust and germ traps. 

The bed is probably best made out of metal, 
and should have a woven-wire mattress, with one 
of hair on top. Anything more than this is un- 
necessary, while the old-fashioned feather bed is 
unhealthy. 

The position of the bed is of great importance. 
It should not lie diredtly in any draft, nor ought it 

[*] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

to be placed where air cannot circulate freely 
round it, as, for instance, in a corner, while it is 
always desirable that the occupier's eyes are turned 
away from the light. From a hygienic point of 
view alone there is much to be said in favor of 
having it right in the center of the room. 

So much for the arrangement of the bedroom; 
we must now consider how it ought to be kept. 
The first general rule I wish to impress is that 
the windows should never be entirely closed either 
by day or night. We are only beginning to have 
some slight glimmering of the importance of thor- 
ough and efficient ventilation, while the great suc- 
cess of the open-air treatment of consumption has 
shown us how slight is the danger of catching a 
cold, or any other illness, from -sleeping almost in 
the open air. Another advantage of a corner room 
is that one window must, on nearly every occasion, 
be sheltered from the full force of the wind, and 
can, in consequence, be left wide open. 

The minimum amount of window opening that 
should be tolerated is about six inches at the top; 
it is, however, much better to have some of the 
bottom sash open too. If this makes too much 
draft — but here it must be remembered that a 
draft is caused, not by having too much space for 
the air to enter, but too little, — -a useful plan is 
to open the lower sash four or five inches, and 
then block this opening by a close-fitting board. 
The incoming air then passes up between the 

[3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

sashes, and the draft is directed toward the ceiling. 
This form of ventilation is specially advantageous 
in the sick room, where it has been long used. 
As we have an inlet for the air, so must we have 
an outlet ; the former should be near the ceiling, 
the latter near the floor. This is why the fire- 
grate is so useful; it forms a most excellent and 
efficient path of escape for the vitiated air. 

Any feeling of cold or chilliness that such a 
thorough ventilation may cause is easily overcome 
by having a few more bedclothes or by having a 
fire in the room. This latter materially aids ven- 
tilation, as it increases the flow of air up the chim- 
ney, which means that the oxygen in the room is 
changed much more quickly. 

Severe weather need never be an excuse for 
closed windows ; no one who has honestly tried 
sleeping in a well-ventilated room for a fortnight 
will willingly go back to the slow suffocation 
caused by the want of pure oxygen. I once met 
a young doftor, an enthusiast on ventilation, who 
said the only thing he really objected to was hav- 
ing snow-drifts on his bed. 

During the day the bedroom should be no less 
carefully tended. Every morning all the windows 
ought to be opened wide and the room swept and 
dusted out. During the day as much sunlight and 
fresh air as possible should stream in, so that at 
night we may retire to a room rendered fresh and 
pure by nature's best cleansers. 

[4] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

All animals sleep in the dark; even the noc- 
turnal creatures retire in the day to some dark 
hole or nook. We are not exceptions to this rule, 
being intended by nature to sleep in the dark; 
but as we do not rise at dawn, it is necessary for 
us to darken our rooms. Heavy curtains drawn 
across the windows are the best for this purpose, 
as wooden shutters let in both cracks and beams 
of light, which are distressing to the eyes, and also 
hinder the free entrance of the air. For this rea- 
son, too, no form of light should be left burning 
in the room; it is far better to have a candle and 
a box of matches at the bedside. 

If the quantity of sleep is important to us, still 
more so is its quality; our aim should always be 
to enjoy to the full the beauteous "sleep that knits 
up the ravelled sleeve of care." 

I divide sleep into four grades. Though it may 
appear impossible to label and ticket off such an 
ethereal and elusive substance as sleep, yet follow- 
ing the hint once dropped by a medical friend, I 
venture to think that some germ of truth at least 
may be found in this classification. 

The first is the best of all ; it is truly "tired na- 
ture's sweet restorer," where our eyes close as soon 
as we rest our heads on the pillow, and the whole 
night passes by almost in the twinkling of an eye, 
when we awake in the morning thinking we have 
slept but a moment, yet feeling to the full the re- 
freshing grace of our slumber. 

[5] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The second is also dreamless, a sweet, careless 
sleep where, on waking, we feel invigorated, but 
still are conscious of having lain for a considerable 
time. 

The third is dream-sleep, sleep necessarily un- 
refreshing, as our brains are still adtive, revolving 
ever onward, like the wheels of some great ma- 
chine, e'en though it be against our will and 
desire. 

While the fourth is an uneasy doze, in which 
we are dimly conscious of what goes on around 
us — a drugged stupor where the impressions of 
our senses reach the brain, though in a sluggish 
manner, it is true. 

How can we best attain to the first of these 
grades ? The answer is easy. We must be honestly 
tired after the day's work, for such sleep comes 
only to the weary ; we should not do any fatiguing 
brain work immediately before retiring to rest, 
nor partake of a heavy meal shortly before bed- 
time. Such sleep comes to the weary, but not 
to those overtired or exhausted by fatigue, and es- 
pecially does it come after a day spent in the open 
air. 

Much has been said for and against the hot- 
water bottle. Personally, I find it the greatest 
comfort, especially after studying or when very 
tired, for then, as the heart is not beating strongly 
and does not force sufficient blood through the 
veins of the extremities to keep them warm, the 

[6] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

heat applied to the feet relieves the jaded circula- 
tion and enables us to woo gentle sleep. 

The bedclothes should be as light as possible 
consistent with comfort ; one or two pairs of light 
blankets, and an eider- or swan's-down quilt, which 
should be perforated for ventilation, will generally 
be found to be sufficient. High pillows or bolsters 
are a mistake ; their use tends to produce a stooped 
and slouching carriage ; as a well-known authority 
has said, "A flat bed and a low pillow help 
towards a fine straight figure/' 

Some prefer to sleep without sheets, averring 
that the discomfort arising therefrom is very slight 
and only transient, and that it is much more hy- 
gienic to be covered with blankets alone. Such 
people, of course, to be logical, should only wear 
woolen or silk night-dresses, as otherwise the sup- 
posed advantages accruing from discarding sheets 
would be lost. 

If we would be beautiful and fair, if we would 
preserve our charms and grace, we must rest as 
Mother Nature intended us, fanned by the gentle 
breeze, kissed by the sweet, free zephyrs of the 
soft, calm night, to receive her priceless balm — 
her best beloved sleep. 

BEAUTY AND EXERCISE 

Having discussed sleep and beauty, let us turn 
to the next most important fadtor in our daily 
regime — exercise. 

[7] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Our exercise should, of course, be always out-of- 
doors. We are, alas, a sadly indoor animal, and do 
not seek with sufficient ardor or zeal the out-of- 
door life which is one of the great secrets ot 
triumphant beauty. 

It is interesting to note here that the vast ma- 
jority of our great singers have, in their youth, led 
an open life under the canopy of heaven, or are 
sprung from families where such a life has been 
led for centuries. It seems as if the pure, fresh 
oxygen of the hills and plains was distilled in the 
secret laboratories of their bodies into the liquid 
notes that so move and enthrall us. 

So is it with beauty. The great beauties of his- 
tory have one and all at some period of their lives 
lived freely and unrestrainedly the quick, invig- 
orating life of the open. 

Exercise is of two kinds, adtive and passive ; the 
adtive belongs to youth, the passive to old age; 
the adtive is the joy of the strong and healthy, the 
passive the recreation of the feeble and debilitated. 

Some may say, in a scoffing mood, that passive 
exercise, the carriage exercise, as it is called today, 
or the better title, "taking the air," which our 
fathers gave it, is not exercise at all. But this is 
not so. Though the muscles of our limbs may not 
be used, the vivifying tonic efFed: of the ozone 
stimulates and exercises the far more important 
internal muscles of our bodies. 

Our respirations become longer, deeper and 

[8] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

fuller, our heart beats stronger and more vigor- 
ously, the blood, itself vivified and oxygenated, 
circulates more quickly, imparting the generous 
life-giver to every cell and fiber of our bodies. 
Who has not felt the keen swish of the wind on 
her face ? Who has not drunk in the generous 
caressing breeze, and felt every nerve and fiber of 
her body thrill and throb with pleasure and health 
at the end of a drive behind the spanking bays or 
on the seat of a swift-moving motor ? 

Every one ought to spend at least two hours a 
day in the open air. This is the minimum for 
those who wish to preserve their beauty. On the 
other hand, the younger of us who wish to grow 
up beautiful and captivating should spend every 
moment possible out-of-doors. We thus lay up for 
ourselves a stock of health and vitality which will 
last us all our lives. Though we of the weaker 
sex should not try to develop the thews and sinews 
of a trained athlete, yet a well-exercised and culti- 
vated body is essential for molding the delicate 
curves of the torso, and will alone show the perfedt 
symmetry of grace. 

Not alone is taking exercise necessary, but the 
choice of exercise is of great importance to us. 
Some forms merely develop the muscles, while 
others stimulate the brain, quicken and educate 
the eye, and last, but not least, teach self-reliance 
and self-control. 

Walking may be taken as a type of the first 

[9j 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

class; and here I may say it is by far the best of 
its class, while all games into which skill and 
rivalry enter belong to the second. 

These games are essential to the young and 
growing, and they should always be encouraged to 
indulge in them. 

The present-day craze for golf is an eloquent 
testimony of its superiority to a mere walk, while 
games like lawn-tennis and croquet, and sports like 
horseback riding, boating and fishing are most 
valuable as educational agents, besides developing 
the body as a whole. 

Cycling is most useful for covering the ground, 
but should never be indulged in to the exclusion 
of other forms of amusement. It is too mechanical 
and only develops certain muscles to the negled: of 
others, a fadt which very materially limits its use. 

It will be observed that here I have made no 
mention of hockey and other games, which at one 
time belonged to the male sex alone, but now 
have very many advocates among our gentler sex. 
They are, I think, too severe for most girls, and if 
practised to any great extent tend to produce mas- 
culine girls — girls with the male type of figure 
and manner of walking, hard, big-boned, angular 
girls, lacking that roundness of contour and deli- 
cacy of curves which should be characteristic of 
the gentler sex. 

As we advance in years we drop one by one 
these youthful pastimes, golf, croquet and fishing 

[IO] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

being the ones that remain longest with us, till 
finally as the unrelenting years roll on we only 
care for the quiet stroll, and take most of our air 
on the seat of the carriage or motor. 

Yet, still we can enjoy none the less the out-of- 
door life and while away many hours with a novel 
or piece of work, seated under some shady tree on 
the lawn or tending the flowers of the garden, 
which, no matter how small or poor it may be, 
always repays a thousand-fold the care and atten- 
tion bestowed on it. 

In gardening we are brought into closest touch 
and sympathy with our mother earth ; we inhale 
the fragrance of her breath and imbibe that subtle 
and inexpressible inspiration which raises us above 
the turmoil of this mundane life and gives us that 
strong and living love of the soil which is the 
spring and fount of true patriotism. 

All of us can have some little nook or corner, 
tended and cared for by us alone, and which smiles 
for us more than the most sublime landscape or 
the most luxuriant garden; a sweet plaisance to 
which our thoughts continually revert, and over 
which memory lingers in loving tenderness. 

For those who suffer from insomnia, the best 
hypnotic known to the medical profession is fresh 
air. It gives the pure, refreshing sleep of nature, 
which is far, far better than any drugged slumber, 
and which does not either give that unnatural 
troubled sleep or that feeling of lassitude and 

[»] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

depression on waking that always accompanies the 
use of sedatives. 

Thus far I have written chiefly for the more 
leisured classes, but I cannot stop without saying a 
few words for that great and noble army of women 
who earn every day their daily bread. By far the 
most of these have indoor work, in the office, 
counting-house or shop, and, in consequence, their 
life in the open is limited to a few hours in the 
early morning or the evening. 

Such would I advise to live some distance from 
their work ; they should go part of the way, at any 
rate, on foot, while for the rest of the journey it 
is best to take a bus or tram, avoiding, if possible, 
a stuffy railway carriage or gloomy underground. 
Every holiday should, of course, be held sacred to 
the goddess of health and fresh air, and, if possi- 
ble, spent far from the haunts of drudgery and 
work. To such is the bicycle an untold boon, and 
many has it saved — and will save- — from a physi- 
cal breakdown. 

For the city worker there is no holiday like 
that spent in the rural districts, where the soft 
green of the grass shines in the sunlight, and the 
woodland path is strewn and flecked with gold as 
the brilliant darts of sunshine break through the 
leafy canopy overhead, where the gently murmur- 
ing stream slowly glides through some sylvan dell 
or babbles over the rocks in some secluded glen. 

Green is the color of rest and repose; it has a 

[12] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

wonderfully soothing and refreshing influence on 
the tired eye and brain ; at the same time it revives 
and stimulates our faculties, and is, in short, one of 
Nature's best tonics. I have always considered that 
to gaze on a beautiful green pasture is a mental 
tonic. 

From the wilderness of brick and mortar must 
we fly to the wilderness of trees and flowers, from 
the heat and turmoil of the busy street to the 
silence and repose of the greenwood lane, from the 
smoke and dust of the city to the purity and fresh- 
ness of the country. 

From such a holiday we return with renewed 
vigor and strength for our work, and carry with 
us an atmosphere of peace and love taken from the 
storehouse of ever-bounteous Nature. 

Work will never hurt us if we bestow even 
only ordinary care on our bodies and if we follow 
conscientiously and carefully, as far as we can, the 
simple homely rules of health. 

There are but few forms of indoor exercise of 
which I need speak here. The first and most im- 
portant is the training of the gymnasium. This 
should form part of the education of every girl 
and boy in the land. It is the outcome of long 
years of thought and experience, and designed to 
develop, and does develop, every muscle of the 
body. It is here we really learn to walk and stand, 
and it is this that gives us the stately carriage and 
commanding presence that are so necessary and do 

[13] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

so much for us in all stations of life. It gives us 
a physical authority. But gymnastics practised to 
excess, however, produce a condition technically 
known as "muscle bound. ,, Such a person is in- 
tensely strong, a veritable pillar of strength, but is, 
in truth, only a pillar, lacking the quickness and 
agility of one less muscular. 

A tendency toward this state is counteracted by 
another form of indoor exercise — dancing. Danc- 
ing is truly a grace giver; it bestows on us that 
light, easy, supple movement, that lightsome, sway- 
ing, willowlike flexibility which is the true poetry 
of motion. 

Gymnastics make us like a Greek statue ; danc- 
ing, like the graceful fawn. 

Sleep and exercise are the two great, strong 
foundation-stones on which the graceful edifice of 
beauty is built. Though unseen to the casual pass- 
ing eye, they are the most important part of the 
building, and give to it a strength and rigidity 
which enable it to stand against the wearing and 
corroding adtion of time. 

BEAUTY AND DIET 

Some of you, gentle readers, may think it strange 
that I should place this subjedt third in the chapter. 
In reality it is third in importance, and if care is 
taken over sleep and exercise, the voice of Nature 
may very largely be followed in the matter of diet. 

The first and great essential in the diet of the 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

beauty seeker is that it should be plain and whole- 
some, not flavored with rich sauces or condiments ; 
not made-up triumphs of culinary skill, but simple, 
nutritious, and, above all, well cooked. 

All the food we eat when submitted to the rigid 
analysis of a chemical laboratory is found to con- 
sist of three great classes : the nitrogen-containing, 
animal part, technically called proteid, which forms 
the basis of lean meat or white of egg, but which 
is also found in many vegetable foods, especially 
peas and beans; the starchy and saccharine part, 
so well known to us as being the principal con- 
stituent of bread ; and lastly, the various fats. 

Without the first of these, life cannot exist ; it is 
the only form of food that can be built up into 
the living tissues of the body, and robbed of this 
class we die just as surely as if we were starved. 

The second and third classes are heat formers, 
and are largely used up in the performance of 
work; though not so absolutely necessary to life 
as the meaty foods, they are necessary to health. 

Our bodies may aptly be compared to steam- 
engines: so long as the engine is tended and fed 
with coal and water it gives out heat and work. 
We, so long as we exist, are ever giving out both 
heat and work, nor do we for an instant cease 
from so doing till the last spark of life has died 
away within us. 

Again, the engine requires new fittings of steel 
or brass to replace those worn out ; it requires coal 

[15] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

to keep the furnace alight, it requires oil for the 
machinery and water for the boiler. In like manner 
do we require the nitrogenous proteid food to re- 
place the tissues which have broken down through 
work and which need to be rebuilt. This is with 
us a continuous process, — every movement of our 
hand, every word that passes our lips, every thought 
that flashes lightning-like through our brain, 
means the breaking down of some tiny molecule 
of our frame, which is at once rebuilt from the 
store brought to hand by that ever-present carrier, 
the blood. 

The starchy part of the food corresponds to thd 
coal, and feeds those mysterious internal fires with 
which we ever burn, but are never consumed, 
whose ventilating shafts are our lungs and air tubes, 
and whose light is as constant as that of the sacred 
vestal fire; while the oil that makes the engine 
run smooth and true is, with us, the water and 
various salts that we take in our food. 

Thus it is easy to see that we must justly pro- 
portion the various articles of diet we use, not un- 
consciously depriving ourselves of one class while 
surfeiting on another. 

This brings us to the great question of vegetari- 
anism. Are we better without animal food? I 
believe not. 

As I stated above, vegetable food is poor in the 
nitrogenous element, hence when we live as vege- 
tarians we must eat too much fat-forming starchy 

[16] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

foods to gain enough nitrogen to replenish the 
waste of our bodies. Again, anatomists tell us that 
in our internal arrangements we stand almost mid- 
way between carnivorous and herbivorous animals, 
so, taking this hint from Nature, we should be 
omnivorous. 

Turning now in greater detail to the question 
of our daily life, I wish first to impress on my 
readers the importance of regularity and punctu- 
ality at our meals. Nothing is more injurious to 
digestion, nothing is a more frequent cause of dys- 
pepsia, than hurried or irregular hours of eating. 
If from any chance the usual mealtime is long 
passed, failing anything else, a glass of water is of 
material assistance in preventing the want of food 
unduly exhausting the digestive activity. 

The first meal of the day is the one over which 
there is most diversity of habit in the different 
nations. The Anglo-Saxon race prefer a solid 
breakfast, considering it a good foundation on 
which to build the day's work, while the light 
premier dejeuner of the French is too well known 
to need description. 

The matter is really a question of physique and 
climate. 

Those of us who live in a cold climate and 
have a sound constitution, especially if we are ac- 
customed to having our morning tub cold, ought 
not to take anything in bed, not even the early 
morning cup of tea which is now becoming so 

[17] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

fashionable, but, after having completed our toilets, 
we should sit down to a solid, substantial breakfast. 

In England this generally consists of bacon and 
eggs, often some fish or porridge, toast and butter, 
with tea or coffee. 

I am glad to see that the Scotch breakfast of 
porridge is becoming more and more popular. It 
is a most excellent form of food in many ways, 
nutritious, palatable and healthy, a builder of bone 
and muscle, and one that has probably done much 
to raise the Scotch to their present proud position 
in the world of commerce and manufacture. 

On the other hand, the more delicate of us 7 
should certainly take an early breakfast of tea, 
coffee or chocolate, with a roll and butter before 
rising, in this copying the French. 

This rule is much the best for all residents in 
warm or tropical climates where one requires an 
early meal, called in India chota-hazri. This is 
slightly more solid than the premier dejeuner; at 
this meal fruit forms a constant and most impor- 
tant part. I here take the opportunity of empha- 
sizing the position of fruit as an article of diet. 
Most of us do not eat enough fruit. It is rare to 
see it as a breakfast dish, yet in the morning is its 
beneficial adtion most marked ; it helps to regulate 
our digestion, both on account of many very neces- 
sary salts it contains, and also because of the more 
solid framework, which a<Ss in the same way as 
wholemeal or porridge, while, on account of the 

[18] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

sugary matter which forms its chief bulk, it is also 
nutritious. 

There is a germ of truth in the old saying that 
fruit in the morning is gold, in the middle of the 
day silver and in the evening lead. 

Always should the midday meal be solid and 
substantial ; its time depends entirely on the nature 
of the breakfast. Those who have a good break- 
fast ought not to have their lunch before one- 
thirty, but it should be at least an hour earlier 
for those who partake of the morning meal in 
bed. In this case it corresponds exactly with the 
French dejeuner a la fourchette or the Indian tiffin. 

Lunch usually consists of fish, some meat, with 
vegetables, and fruit or sweets. At such a meal 
soup is usually out of place, as what we need is a 
repast which will give as much nourishment and 
stamina as possible in a small bulk. For the hard- 
worked business or professional man, and for the 
no less important army of women toilers, this es- 
pecially applies. They cannot afford to render 
themselves torpid in body and mind by a very 
heavy and prolonged meal, nor can they allow the 
fire to run low and at the same time expedt to do 
their best work. 

It is a penny-wise pound-foolish policy to snatch 
a hurried luncheon at a bar or counter, hoping to 
be able to gain a few minutes more time in the 
pursuit of business. One is apt to forget that un- 
relenting, unforgetting Nature ever follows us, a 

[19] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Nemesis which punishes with stern severity every 
breach in her laws. One must not shorten his life's 
work to lengthen the day's work. 

We now come to five o'clock tea, a meal popu- 
lar, and deservedly so, among us, and also a meal 
which differs from all others, for it is not intended 
for eating, but only for liquid refreshment. When 
this is borne in mind it is most beneficial, but if 
forgotten and the repast made too heavy, it is in- 
jurious, throwing a great strain on the digestive 
system, as it comes too soon after lunch, and too 
soon before dinner, to be a suitable time for eating. 

Dinner must now claim our attention. With 
some it is the habit to eat a large breakfast, prac- 
tically no lunch, then to end the day with a very 
heavy dinner. 

Thus the system is overloaded every morning 
and evening, and starved during the best working- 
hours of the day. Three moderate, simple meals a 
day is a plan much to be preferred to two more 
solid ones, and is, as a matter of fad:, the selection 
of most of us nowadays. 

Dinner may begin with a little soup. Most 
soups — indeed I may say all clear soups — have 
little or no nutritive value, but are stimulants pure 
and simple ; their special duty is to stimulate the 
digestive juices and so enable us to eat and digest 
more than we otherwise could. This applies also 
to most of the meat extradts at present on the 
market. 

[20] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

The dinner proper, however, begins with the 
next dish, generally fish, while meat or an entree 
and some sweets or fruit will generally be found 
sufficient. Dinner ought not to last much more 
than three-quarters or one hour — of course this 
estimate does not include the time spent over 
dessert. 

Nothing more than a biscuit and a glass of milk 
or wine should be taken immediately before retir- 
ing to rest. 

A most important, though to some perhaps an 
apparently trivial point, is the question of drink- 
ing, and here we may learn something from the 
custom of grooms who first water their horses, and 
then after an interval feed them. Those who 
would preserve their complexion ought never to 
drink much with their meals. 

The day may be started with a glass of cold or 
warm water, then the rest of the meals can be 
taken dry ; fluid only is required when the appetite 
is satisfied. The use of five o'clock tea for liquid 
refreshment has already been mentioned, finally the 
day may be ended with a second glass of water. 

Any slight feeling of discomfort that may be 
present when one first tries taking solid food with- 
out liquids usually passes off in a very short time; 
but if such a feeling continues, a tumbler of cold 
milk, diluted with one-third its bulk of boiling 
water, which makes the mixture of a refreshing 
warmth, may, with advantage, be taken not more 

[21] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

than an hour or less than half an hour before the 
meal. 

Those who objedt to milk on account of its 
fattening properties may take a glass of warm water 
instead, though one should remember that the 
great anti-fat remedy is a sound digestion and 
healthy skin; while those who wish for a more 
rounded contour will do well to add a spoonful of 
cream to the tumbler of milk and water. 

The question of alcoholic drinks is a most diffi- 
cult and perplexing one. The present-day tendency 
among the sterner sex is to take spirits with their 
meals — in England, whiskey-and-soda is mostly 
used. Since the advent of smoking, the custom of 
after-dinner drinking has almost completely gone 
out ; one does not consume his bottle of port regu- 
larly every evening, as our grandparents did ; it 
is now rare to take more than one or two glasses 
of that wine. 

Beer has become the drink of the working 
classes, who forget in its sottish stupor the terrible 
hardships of their lot. 

For us, however, a glass of wine at lunch or 
dinner is of material advantage as a tonic and 
stimulant, but no beauty lover should ever, under 
any pretext, take one between meals. 

However exadl these few hints may appear, 
they must necessarily be modified by one's taste, 
position or work. It is impossible to sketch out 
an exadt system of diet suitable to all individuals 

[»] 




Cora Brown Potter as Lady Teazle. 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

and every clime ; however, it is a safe general rule 
never to take anything that causes flushing, whether 
of the face, hands or ears, or that induces sleep at 
an unusual or unaccustomed time. It is far from 
me, however, to condemn the afternoon sleep or 
siesta of warm climates. 

OCCASIONAL REMEDIES 

One can nearly always by means of the diet 
preserve the proper daily adtivity of the bowels, 
but unfortunately there are many of us who suffer 
much from irregularity, and who find it necessary 
to assist nature now and again. It is most impor- 
tant if we would preserve our complexion bright 
and pure, our skin brilliant and clear, our eyes 
lustrous and sparkling, never to allow any such ir- 
regularity to occur. 

I do not advocate the promiscuous taking of 
drugs in which so many now indulge. No man 
would try rash experiments with a beautiful and 
delicate machine, nor should we rashly experiment 
with our bodies by using preparations of unknown 
composition, of which we know neither what they 
contain nor the amounts of the ingredients present 
in them. 

On the other hand, by taking medicines, know- 
ing what they contain and the quantities of the 
various ingredients, we can have them altered as 
required by changes in climate and variations in 
general health. 

[*3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

\ 

Everything that I may mention in the next few- 
pages has been carefully gone over by a brain far 
cleverer, far more learned than mine, and nothing 
is here inserted that did not meet with his approval. 

Pills — Excellent occasional pills to assist nature 
once in a way are : 

( i ) Compound Cathartic pill. 
( 2 ) Vegetable Cathartic pill. 

The first contains mercury, which suits most 
people; for individuals with whom mercury disa- 
grees the second pill is given. Stronger pills are: 

( i ) Aloes i % gr., Scammony i y^ gr., Gamboge 

( 2 ) Calomel y 2 gr., Colocynth y 2 gr., Gamboge y 2 
gr., Jalap i gr., Aloes i gr. 

(3 ) Dr. Livingstone's pill, used in the tropics, con- 
tains : Calomel 1 gr., Quinine 1 gr., Jalap 1 y 2 gr., 
Rhubarb 1^ gr. 

The above pills should be taken with the last 
meal or at bedtime. 

Every country has its own Pharmacopoeia, which 
contains an official list of medicines, drugs and 
chemicals which the chemists of each country are 
required to keep, or compound, of fixed strength, 
quality and purity ; so that a chemist of any coun- 
try in the world can dispense a prescription accu- 
rately as long as he can find out the country of 
origin of that prescription, and has the ingredients 
mentioned in it or others of a similar nature. 
Thus bay rum is official in America, but not in 

[24] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

England; sal volatile is official in England, under 
the name of aromatic spirit of ammonia, but every 
chemist throughout the world would use the Brit- 
ish official amount of ammonia, but might not 
have oil of nutmeg, so would use some other 
aromatic, as oil of cinnamon. In addition, in Eng- 
land there is a formulary prepared by the Phar- 
maceutical Conference which explains the best 
mode of preparing many medicines. 

Besides the pills mentioned as ingredients of the 
first two receipts, English chemists keep or can 
soon make — aloes and assafoetida pill, compound 
laxative pill, both of use when flatulence is pres- 
ent; as well as aloes and myrrh, and aloes and 
mastic, which are used when there is pain below 
the waist; and also compound rhubarb, which 
may be described as a liver pill. The dose of 
these to begin with is four grains, though more 
or less is taken when required by local circum- 
stances, as residence at the sea level or at a height, 
softness or hardness of the water supply. 

Powders — Of the drugs taken as powders, 
compound licorice powder contains sulphur and 
senna. Sulphur is also used as lozenges, which are 
not unpleasant, and as sulphur water, which is 
nauseous; it specially a£ts on the skin, but should 
be avoided when this is red and irritable. 

Natural Saline Waters — The efficacy of 
these is due to magnesium sulphate, commonly 
known as Epsom salt, sodium sulphate, sodium 

i»s.] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

carbonate and sodium chloride; other less impor- 
tant ingredients are usually also present. 
Carlsbad Salt — 

Sodium Chloride i oz., Sodium Bicarbonate 2 oz., 
Sodium Sulphate 4 oz. 

Two teaspoonfuls to be taken in a tumbler of 
water on waking. The effedt is increased if the 
water is hot, even so hot that it can only be sipped. 

Effervescing Carlsbad Salt is made by adding : 

Sodium Bicarbonate 4 oz., Tartaric Acid 3 y 2 oz. 

A pleasanter way to make this effervesce is by 
putting four teaspoonfuls of the still salt in a pint 
seltzogene or sparklet. 

When taken regularly every morning the dose 
is half a teaspoonful in a tumbler of water. 

Artificial Carlsbad Salt 9 containing sodium sul- 
phate and sodium bicarbonate, adts on the liver. 
It is much used in the East; in Japan the official 
preparation contains potassium sulphate. In Eng- 
lish the prescription reads as follows: 

Potassium Sulphate 2, Sodium Chloride 1 8, Sodium 
Bicarbonate 36 , Sodium Sulphate, 44 parts. 

Friedrichshall Salt — 

Sulphate of Magnesia 1 oz., Sodium Chloride 6 dr., 
Sodium Sulphate 2 dr., Sodium Bicarbonate *4 
dr., Calcium Sulphate % dr. 

This is taken the same as Carlsbad Salt. 

Ems Water — 

Sodium Carbonate 40 gr., Sodium Chloride 10 gr., 
Magnesium Sulphate 5 gr. 

[26] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

This is the charge for a pint sparklet. 
Harrogate Salts — 

Acid Potassium Tartrate 3 dr., Sulphurated Potash 
y 2 oz., Magnesium Sulphate y 2 lb. 

One teaspoonful of this sulphur preparation 
taken every morning is better than many natural 
sulphur waters from which the sulphur is lost 
before the water is drunk. If it is found to be too 
strong a dose, two ounces should be put in a quart 
bottle of water, and a wineglassful taken in the 
morning. 

Chalybeate waters owe their efficacy to their 
contained iron, which renders them useful for 
anaemia. 

Harrogate Chalybeate Salt — 

Iron Sulphate 1 gr., Sodium Chloride 20 gr., So- 
dium Sulphate 8 dr., Magnesium Sulphate 132 

g r - 
A teaspoonful is taken in half a tumbler of 
water twice a day, one hour before meals. 
Hunyadi Water — 

Iron Sulphate y 2 gr., Sodium Chloride 20 gr., 
Magnesium Sulphate 40 gr., Sodium Bicarbonate 
1 y dr., Sodium Sulphate 5 dr. 

To be taken the same as Harrogate chalybeate 
salt. 

Vichy Chalybeate — 

Sodium Bicarbonate 1 dr., Sodium Chloride 2 gr., 
Sodium Sulphate 8 gr., Magnesium Sulphate 3 
gr., Iron Sulphate y 2 gr. 

[27] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

This is sufficient for a pint sparklet, and a wine- 
glassful taken twice a day, one hour before meals. 
Hunyadi-yanos Water — 

Magnesium Sulphate 2^ dr., Sodium Sulphate iy 2 
dr., Sodium Chloride 12 j4 g r «> Sodium Bicar- 
bonate j*4 g r - 
To be put in a pint sparklet, and a wineglassful 
taken before breakfast, the same as 
Marienbad Water — 

Sodium Carbonate 40 gr., Sodium Sulphate 96 gr., 
Magnesium Sulphate 8 gr., Sodium Chloride 15 
gr., Calcium Chloride 10 gr. 

An easily made Morning Draft consists of: 

Magnesium Sulphate 1 dr., Sodium Sulphate 1 dr., 
Syrup of Ginger 2 dr., Cinnamon Water 1 y 2 oz. 

Sodium Phosphate is almost tasteless. Quarter 
of an ounce is taken first thing in the morning in 
half a tumbler of water, so hot that it can only 
be sipped slowly. If taken in a tumblerful of cold 
milk it combines the tonic efFe<5t of both phos- 
phorus and milk. 

CHRONIC CONSTIPATION 

Instead of constantly taking medicine, it is ad- 
visable to try what a change in diet or in our 
habits will do. Such trouble very frequently arises 
from taking too little fluid during the day ; if this 
is the case a tumbler of cold water ought to be 
slowly sipped when dressing in the morning, an- 
other when going to bed at night, and a third, 

[28] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

preferably hot, half an hour before dinner. If pre- 
ferred, natural saline waters may be taken instead. 

Strong tea, on account of the large amount of 
tannin it contains, should be avoided ; indeed, it is 
much better to give up India or Ceylon tea en- 
tirely, and drink nothing but China. This is much 
more wholesome, and affedts much less the diges- 
tion of other foods. 

A liberal amount of vegetable food and plenty 
of fruit should be taken, while preserves, marma- 
lade, honey, etc., are of decided value. If these 
hints, together with the ideas sketched out in the 
articles on exercise and sleep, are followed, it will 
be found that this troublesome complaint is, to a 
large extent, if not entirely, alleviated. 

For occasional use, however, the pills I have 
mentioned, or the following, which will be found 
to form a dainty little pill, should be tried : 

Aloin % gr., Podophyllin y% gr., Cascarin y^ gr., 
Jalapin i-io gr., Extract of Hyoscyamus 1-20 
gr., Extract of Nux Vomica 1-20 gr., Capsicum 
1-20 gr. 

This pill may be supplemented by a tumbler of 
water or of saline on waking if necessary. An ex- 
cellent home-made saline is: 

Sulphate of Magnesia, Sugar, Bicarbonate of Soda, 
Tartaric Acid. 

An equal weight of each should be taken, and 

after being carefully dried in an oven, powdered. 

The usual dose of this, a favorite remedy on board 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

ship, is a tcaspoonful dissolved in a tumbler of 
water. 

Another exceedingly useful and innocuous 
remedy is 

Phenolphthaline — This, spite its name, is 
one of the simplest we possess; it may either be 
taken as a powder or made up as follows: 

Phenolphthaline 3 gr., Syrup of Lemons 10 drops, 
Water to 1 dr. 

One teaspoonful is a pleasant dose for a child, 
an adult usually requires two, while for a strong 
dose even three may be taken. This drug is also on 
the market in a tablet form. 

Hydrated Magnesia — This, also known as 
hydrated oxide of magnesia, is more efficacious and 
more easily taken than citrate of magnesia or any 
saline. It is a special favorite in the tropics. It is 
made by dissolving magnesium sulphate in water, 
precipitating with liquid potash or liquid ammonia ; 
the precipitate is washed till free from sulphate. 
Then add as many ounces of water as there were 
originally drams of sulphate of magnesia, heat the 
same, and add half as many ounces of sugar. When 
this has cooled, add a quarter of a dram of orange- 
flower water. 

Cascara — For daily use, however, perhaps the 
best remedy we know of is cascara sagrada, but to 
gain most from this drug we must use it in the 
smallest possible dose. It is convenient to combine 
it with glycerin, which greatly increases its a&ion. 

L30J 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

I should recommend half a teaspoonful of the 
aromatic fluid extradt of cascara and a teaspoonful 
of glycerin every night before retiring to rest. 
Some, however, find it better to take from five to 
ten drops in half a teaspoonful of glycerin imme- 
diately after every meal. 

Calomel, in tenth of a grain doses, every eve- 
ning after dinner is of great benefit both for the 
digestion and the skin. 

For those whose eyeballs are tinged slightly yel- 
low, or who complain of "biliousness," this din- 
ner pill will be of service: 

Extract of Aloes i*4 gr., Ipecacuanha Powder y& 
gr., Extract of Nux Vomica y 2 gr., Sulphate of 
Quinine i gr., Saponis y 2 gr. 

It should be taken immediately before dinner, 
while at the same time a glass of water should be 
taken night and morning. 

Anemia: Iron — The question of bloodless- 
ness, or anaemia, is one that is often very urgent, 
especially in young girls. It is a symptom which 
should never be negledted or thought lightly of, 
as it often brings very serious consequences in its 
train. What is wanting in the blood in this con- 
dition is the red pigment; this pigment contains 
iron and is the means by which the oxygen of the 
air is carried from the lungs to all parts of the 
body, where it keeps alive the fire of life. With- 
out oxygen in the air we cannot live, and all the 
oxygen of the atmosphere would be useless unless 

[30 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

we had this red blood pigment to carry it through 
the body. 

This might almost be compared to an internal 
ventilation, and one to which all the care we spend 
over external ventilation — the ventilation of our 
rooms and houses — is subsidiary. 

As this iron-containing element of the blood is 
wanting, it is obvious that we must supply the de- 
ficiency by giving iron. 

There is an appreciable amount of iron in our 
food, especially in red meat and the yolk of eggs, 
and in animal foods generally. 

These foods should therefore be given, but as 
the digestion always suffers in anaemia, they must 
be carefully cooked, and not consumed in too large 
quantities. 

Iron is most conveniently given in the form of 
pill ; the official Iron Pill, in five-grain doses, may 
be taken three times a day, after food, for a week ; 
then two, three times a day for a week ; the next 
week three, three times a day, making nine pills a 
day, are to be taken. After that the number may 
be slowly decreased till only one three times a day 
is taken. If there is no very marked improvement 
another similar course, and perhaps a third, must 
be undergone. 

These pills are usually colored pink. 

An old preparation of iron, and one that has 
unfortunately fallen largely out of use, is Dialyzed 
Iron. This, though a liquid, has all the advantages 

[32] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

of the solid preparations of the metal, and as it is 
very easily assimilated, produces its beneficial effedt 
in a very short time. The best way of taking it is 
to add one part of the solution of dialyzed iron to 
two of glycerin ; ten drops of the mixture are to 
be taken three times a day, after food, in a tea- 
spoonful of water, or a dram in a wineglassful of 
water after breakfast. 

It is, however, almost useless taking iron in this 
way unless the adtion of the bowels is very care- 
fully regulated. Any of the remedies described 
above are of use, but a saline in the morning is best. 
The following receipts are of undoubted value : 

Citrate of Iron and Ammonia 10 gr., Podophyllin 
Tincture 5 drops, Lemon Syrup 10 drops, Orange 
Syrup 20 drops, Water up to 1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken three times a 

day, after meals. 

Tartrated Iron 5 gr., Tincture of Nux Vomica 5 
drops, Simple Syrup 1 dr., Water to 1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken twice a day, 
after meals. At the same time this pill should be 
taken every night: 

Extract of Aloes 2 gr., Extract of Hyoscyamus 
1-20 gr. 
The following is a much-used and extremely 
efficacious prescription : 

Sulphate of Iron 3 gr., Sulphate of Magnesia 20 
gr., Dilute Sulphuric Acid 5 drops, Tincture of 
Nux Vomica 5 drops, Syrup of Nutmeg 10 
drops, Water to 1 oz. 

[33] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

To be taken three times a day, after food. 

If the mouth is carefully rinsed out with cold 
water immediately after taking any medicine con- 
taining iron, there is no danger of blackening the 
teeth — a misfortune which prevents some making 
use of so valuable a remedy. 

Where the system is run down, and there is a 
general feeling of lassitude, iron ought to be com- 
bined with arsenic, thus: 

Tincture of Perchloride of Iron 5 drops, Liquor 
Arsenic Hydrochloride 3 drops, Syrup of Lemon 
1 dr., Water to 1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken three times a 
day, after food. 

Arsenic — The mention of arsenic naturally 
brings me to those drugs which specially ad: on 
the skin and complexion. In the East antimony 
and arsenic have long been used for this purpose. 

Arsenic has been thus used for centuries, and, 
indeed, was introduced into Europe by the return- 
ing Crusaders, who brought many eastern ideas 
and remedies from the Holy Land. They had 
there, for the first time, come in contadt with the 
far older civilization of the East — a civilization 
which has from time to time left a deep and last- 
ing impression on our more modern culture. 

Their original prescription yet remains, and is 
still termed Asiatic Pill; it is a remedy which has 
stood the test of time and the recent advances 
of science and is an eloquent testimony to the 

[34] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

enlightenment of the East at a period when the 
West was plunged into the blackness and horror 
of feudal war. 

The prescription of this ancient beautifier is 
i-ioo of a grain of arsenic and two grains of 
black pepper. One of these pills should be taken 
after dinner. It clears the complexion and brings 
a ruddy glow to the lips and cheeks, but it should 
only be taken when the tongue is uncoated by fur 
on rising in the morning, and never if there is any 
tendency to redness or roughness of the skin, or by 
those who suffer from flatulence. 

Antimony — Antimony has not the tonic action 
of arsenic on the blood, but adts diredtly on the 
skin. It is much used by grooms to give a gloss 
to the coats of their horses, and, I am sorry to say, 
is contained in many children's soothing powders. 

It is a drug I can only recommend for adults, 
and the best preparation is the Compound Antimony 
Pill in five-grain doses. One pill to be taken after 
dinner every day for a week, then one every second 
day for a fortnight. The pill should then be left 
off for a fortnight, and again resumed as before. 
Never should more than 90 pills be taken in, the 
course of a year. 

Tonics — The blood tonics — Iron and Arsenic, 
and the skin tonics — Arsenic, Antimony, and Sul- 
phur, have already been discussed. Quinine and 
Phosphorus now remain for consideration. These 
are nerve, muscle and general tonics. Quinine is 

[35] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

usually taken with iron ; this mixture can be taken 
for lengthy periods if omitted from time to time, 
so that at last even those who are subjeft to brain 
fag no longer need them. 

( i ) Iron and Quinine Citrate 10 gr., Orange Flower 
Water 3 dr., Chloroform Water to make 1 oz. 

( 1 ) This is pleasanter, but less easily digested : 
Iron and Quinine Citrate 10 gr., Syrup of Lemon 
20 drops, Syrup of Orange 10 drops, Water to 
make 1 oz. 

A tablespoonful to be taken in a wineglassful of 
water two or three times a day, half an hour be- 
fore the principal meals. 

By clearing with half a dram of re&ified spirit 
and then filtering, the appearance is improved with 
but slight loss of strength. 

The best phosphorous preparations are the Com- 
pound Glycerophosphate Syrup, and Glycerole of 
Glycerophosphates, prepared according to the re- 
ceipt of the British Pharmaceutical Conference. 
Most, if not all, of the commonly known prepara- 
tions containing, or supposed to contain, phosphorus 
are either inert, inefficient or injurious. 

Patent foods, prepared from milk, flour, and 
sometimes meat, are often beneficial for the simple 
reason that they contain glycerophosphate. 

A pleasant combination of the sustaining efFefts 
of milk and glycerophosphate is made by adding 
twenty-five grains of sodium glycerophosphate to 
one ounce of casein ; this powder may be taken 

[36] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 



mixed with milk, or food such as pudding, cocoa 
or soup. 

There is another remedy which has as many 
uses as it has names. I mean what is known to 
geologists as petroleum, to chemists as paraffin, to 
druggists as petrolatum, in its crude state often 
called kerosene. 

When taken by the mouth it aids digestion, re- 
lieves trouble in the throat and chest, benefits the 
nutrition of the whole body and relieves rheuma- 
tism. 

The most efficacious preparation is soft paraffin, 
flavored by adding to each ounce, half a grain of 
saccharin, one drop of liquor cocci, and four drops 
of oil of sweet orange. For the throat a little, just 
enough to lubricate the throat, is from time to 
time slowly swallowed off the end of a spoon. 
As a general tonic take a teaspoonful after the first 
meal, then the same amount after the first and last 
meal; lastly, after each meal, finally increase the 
amount by a teaspoonful at a time, resting assured 
that its efficacy is only equaled by its harmlessness. 



# 



* 



# 



# 



* 



* 



So we see that beauty and health are married to 
each other for all time, and that without the one 
we can never hope to attain the other. The bril- 
liancy of beauty is merely the outward and visible 
realization of perfect physical comfort and well- 
being. 

[37] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

What is it that attracts our eyes and compels 
our wonder and admiration in the face of a fair 
woman ? It is the glowing blush that mantles the 
cheek, the dazzling fire and sparkle of the eyes, 
the soft, shimmering sheen of the waving hair, 
the ivory whiteness of the teeth revealed for an in- 
stant by that sunny smile. Yet these are merely 
the expressions of health. True beauty, beauty 
that lasts, beauty that does not fear the searching 
gleam of the sun, beauty that glows in the soft- 
shaded light of some gilded salon, is the beauty of 
health. 

The beauty we sometimes see in the pallid 
cheeks and wasted form of the invalid is only the 
herald of that strange, but oh ! so sad, form of 
loveliness — the beauty of death. It almost seems 
as if the dark wings of Death's dread angel were, 
like the thunderclouds, lined with silver, and that 
some of this dazzling glory — the glory of the un- 
seen world — was imparted to the frail clay as it 
draws its last fleeting breath, to bid the mourners 
hope for that larger, fuller, happier life that is to be. 

There are two material beauties for the human 
race, the triumphant beauty of health and the still, 
desperate, classic immobility of death. 

We can all shine with the former, we must all 
pass with the latter. 

I have, with feeble hand, tried to point the way 
to health. I wish that all my sisters may press 
toward that glorious goal, and may reap the happy 

[38] 



AIDS TO BEAUTY 

reward that awaits us there — the highest dignity 
of humanity, the greatest prize of the race, which 
the wizard wand of Nature will bestow on all, — 
the shimmering, glittering, magical beauty of true 
and lasting health. 



[39] 



. 



Chapter II 

THE SKIN, HAIR &> NAILS 

IMPORTANCE OF THE SKIN 

1 here is a oneness about the skin. It is one of 
the most important organs of the body. We have 
two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and two lungs, but 
only one skin. 

It is a matter of common knowledge how dan-, 
gerous is a burn in which some of the skin is de- 
stroyed, and I have been informed that the fatality 
of such an accident depends more on the area of 
the skin involved than on the depth or intensity 
of the injury. If a large part of our skin is de- 
stroyed we die, while we can live if part even of 
such a delicate organ as the brain is removed ; this 
has been the experience of the surgeons in the 
South African war, though it was known before 
that event. 

It is not so obvious, however, that we cannot 
live if the adtion of the skin is stopped, even 
though it may be entire and uninjured — yet such 
is the case. 

Though this was long suspe&ed, the absolute 
proof of it was only accidentally obtained when 
Leonardo da Vinci, to add to the glory of a Flor- 
entine pageant, gilded a beautiful, perfectly formed 

[4°] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

boy, all unsuspecting that any ill result would fol- 
low, yet in a few hours, alas ! the boy was dead. 
Frequently the experiment has been confirmed by 
varnishing animals to observe the exadt way and 
the extent to which the functions of the other or- 
gans are affecfted when the action of the skin is 
checked. 

The moral of this is that we should always take 
the best possible care of our skin, and that an un- 
healthy skin, besides being a personal disfigurement, 
is a positive menace to a proper state of health. 

The skin is the most important organ we possess. 
All of us must know women whose skin is their 
most attractive feature, whose great claim to beauty 
is a skin of exquisite texture, of a soft and delicate 
bloom, and of a complexion pure and clear. 

This becomes much more evident when we re- 
member a facft, which I hope to dwell on later, 
that the hair and nails are merely offshoots of the 
skin, springing from its deeper layers and nourished 
entirely by those layers, so that their texture and 
gloss depend entirely on the health of the sur- 
rounding skin. 

From the standpoint of our art, too, the skin is 
a most important structure. It is a structure which 
lends itself admirably to our endeavors to assist 
nature, it is more amenable to treatment than per- 
haps any other organ we possess, and it repays more 
than any other the time, attention and care we be- 
stow on it. 

[41] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The appearance of the skin depends on two 
totally different and distind: conditions, two oppos- 
ing factors, to use the more scientific term, factors 
which are absolutely antagonistic to each other — 
translucency and opacity. 

Skin that lacks translucency is a dull, muddy 
white, wanting in that beautiful luster, brilliancy 
and sheen which are so characteristic of health; 
while skin which wants opacity, though it has luster 
it is true, is deficient in body and strength, being 
of a pale, waxy hue, giving one the idea of a film 
of some transparent varnish spread evenly and in 
an extremely thin layer over its surface. 

The truly healthy skin preserves the proper 
balance between these two conditions, and it is ob- 
vious that this delicate adjustment can very easily 
be upset by external influences. One wonders often 
that it is not more a&ed on, not more altered or 
damaged by the wear and tear of this work-a-day 
world. 

It is this balance that makes the skin at once the 
delight and the despair of the painter, this that 
they try to bring out in vivid reality on their can- 
vasses, but which no one can truly depidt or rightly 
portray, — it is too ethereal and too intangible. 
The art of Nature is above and beyond the art of 
man. 

We can alter, to a certain extent, this harmoni- 
ous balance if we will, for we know that different 
substances ad; on one or other of these two fadtors. 

[42] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

For example: powders produce their effect by in- 
creasing the opacity of the upper layers of the 
skin. All powders are opaque; take the clearest 
crystal or the most transparent glass, and grind it 
small or fine enough, it will then be a white, 
snowlike powder, absolutely impervious to the 
rays of light. The effect, therefore, of powder is 
to add to the power of the opaque layers of the 
skin, and it is probably this fad; which makes 
powder look so much better at a distance than 
close at hand. 

It is not so easy to increase the translucency of 
the skin ; the best agents we have for this depend 
upon the amount of fat or oil they contain. 

The immediate effect of a greasy compound on 
the skin is generally unpleasant; when the skin is 
smeared with such a preparation it has that un- 
wholesome oily look which is so well known; but 
it is only when this preparation is removed or 
worked in by massage or friction that we see its 
full worth and value, for it softens the superficial 
part of the skin, making it more translucent and 
giving it an opal-like sheen. 

This marvelous, strange skin of ours is not only 
a thing of beauty, but a panoply of strength. One 
of its functions is to protect from injury the deli- 
cate internal structures of our body, and this it is 
perfectly adapted to do. It is exceedingly strong 
and tough; it has wonderful powers of resistance, 
and is in health an unsurmountable barrier to the 

[43] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

entrance of those deadly micro-organisms which 
cause so many of our most-feared diseases. 

It is said that the human skin is stronger and 
tougher than that of most of the higher animals; 
a fad that we must, I think, associate with the ab- 
sence of hair. When we think what protection the 
tawny mane of the lion or the thick, long hair of 
the bear bestows on its owner, or of the soft, fine 
hair of the Alaska seal, by which it is enabled to 
swim thousands of miles through the icy seas, we 
see that we need all the strength and toughness of 
our skin to make us only moderately safe. 

STRUCTURE OF THE SKIN 

We must now inquire how our skin is built; 
I say built advisedly, for the skin, like all the or- 
gans of our body, is not made from a homogeneous 
material, like a sheet of glass or a bar of metal, 
but composed of tiny masses of matter called cells, 
each cell being a separate entity, and, in fad:, com- 
parable to the bricks of which a house is built. 

The skin is composed of two distind parts 
sharply divided off from each other and differing 
markedly in structure and fundion. 

The superficial part consists of cells, and cells 
alone, being deficient in nerves and blood-vessels, 
and performs the duty of proteding us. The 
deeper part is very richly supplied with both 
nerves and blood-vessels, and though it also im- 
parts strength to the skin, it is chiefly concerned 

[44] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

with nourishing the overlying portion; it also is 
the sensitive part, as here the fine nerve threads 
which carry the sensations of heat and cold, and 
of pain and touch, have their beginning. 

Anatomists have divided both these layers into 
many strata, but a description of these is beyond 
my ability, and also beyond the scope of this 
book. Suffice it to say that no cell can cross the 
strong and sharp boundary between the deep and 
superficial layers of the skin, but the cells in the 
upper layer come into existence in the deeper por- 
tion of that layer and gradually make their way 
to the surface. The surface of the skin is con- 
stantly worn away by friftion and other agents and 
is constantly renewed from below. 

Nor do the cells pass unchanged as they ascend 
toward the surface ; at every step there is a meta- 
morphosis, which may be summed up briefly as a 
process of hardening. The deep cells are soft, 
tender and succulent, and they become gradually 
harder and drier and more scalelike as they rise, 
till at last they form the layer we see, the horny 
layer, as it is technically called, where they are 
thin, flat, dead, horny plates — the roof-tiles of our 
body. 

The deeper part of the skin is the foundation 
on which this strudture is built, the part which 
gives solidity and stability to it, and the part which 
also nourishes it. 

To us in this present book, the horny layer, that 

[45] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

most superficial part of the skin, is the most im- 
portant; it is the part most afted on by baths or 
medication, and it is the part which often makes 
or mars our claims to beauty. 

It is very thin, though so efficient, but varies in 
thickness in different parts of the body, being thick 
where subject to pressure or hard use and thin 
where least irritated; thus it is thickest on the 
palms of the hands and soles of the feet. 

In fad:, the difference between the skin of a 
laborer's horny hand and a child's soft, delicate one 
is due to the difference in this very layer. 

I said that the surface of the skin is constantly 
being worn away; in this resped: we differ from 
many of the lower animals, for though all lose the 
upper layer of the skin, few or none lose it con- 
tinuously. 

Horses shed their coats, hair by hair, every 
year; birds molt every spring; the snake casts its 
skin entire; but the human race, hour by hour, 
day by day, from year's end to year's end, con- 
tinually throws off in minute fragments the upper 
surface of the horny layer, provided, of course, the 
skin is healthy. 

The rate at which this happens varies with the 
health of the individual, with climate and occupa- 
tion, and is in no small degree influenced by the 
appropriate care or negleft with which the skin is 
tended and guarded. 

Before leaving this branch of the subjed: I must 

[46] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

describe one other most important element of this 
part of the skin. 

It may not be generally known that the surface 
of the body is covered all over by the minute open- 
ings of tiny channels, technically known as sweat 
dudts. These channels pass from the deepest 
part of the skin right through most of the deep 
and all of the superficial layers, to their openings 
on the surface. 

When, however, these dufts reach the horny 
layer there is no longer a channel made for them, 
but the perspiration, which they lead to the sur- 
face, filters between the cells of that layer, perco- 
lating through the roof-tiles of our bodies, except 
on the palms of the hands and the soles of the 
feet. Thus the surface opening is not that of a 
single pipe, but may more aptly be compared to 
the rose of a garden-hose. 

This perspiration is exuded from the blood- 
vessels, and after having been altered and modified 
by the deepest part of the sweat dufl, which is 
technically called the "sweat gland," it is poured 
out on the surface of the skin. 

The amount of moisture the skin thus throws 
off varies according to the number of aftive chan- 
nels, and if some of these are blocked, others in 
the neighborhood can take on increased activity 
and so prevent deficiency in the total amount 
excreted. 

The sweat, besides keeping the horny layer of 

[47] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

the skin moist and supple, has a most important 
function to perform in regulating our temperature. 

It is a matter of common knowledge that we 
perspire more freely in summer than in winter — 
this is simply to cool us. The sweat comes to 
the surface of the skin and there evaporates. Most 
of us know how cold one's hand feels if a drop of 
water is allowed to evaporate off it; the water 
evaporating robs heat from its surroundings. In an 
exactly similar manner the perspiration robs the 
heat from our bodies and cools us. 

Some animals have no sweat glands, and no 
means of regulating their body temperature — 
these are called cold-blooded animals. On a hot 
day they become warm and on a cold day they 
become cold, their temperature depending merely 
on their surroundings, while we, and all warm- 
blooded animals, have a constant temperature year 
in and year out. 

In all animals, however, the sweat glands are 
not equally formed or equally numerous ; thus a 
cat has them only on her paws, while a dog has 
hardly any. This latter animal has, however, a 
very curious method of regulating his temperature. 
We all have seen a dog on a hot day lying with 
his tongue lolling out of his mouth, panting and 
apparently in great distress. But he is not dis- 
tressed, he is trying to keep cool. This he does 
by breathing a great quantity of air through his 
lungs ; this air must naturally cool the blood which 

[48] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

circulates there, and so prevents his temperature 
from rising. 

Sometimes, especially in cold weather, the 
horny layer of the skin becomes harder than usual 
and the minute channels between the cells blocked. 
This most often occurs in winter. On the return 
of spring the sweat is pent up beneath this hard 
covering and cannot escape. The skin then be- 
comes itchy, and smarts. This is the cause of, in 
fad: is, nettle-rash. 

Again, in very hot weather, when the flow of 
perspiration is excessive, the cells of the horny 
layer become sodden and washed away. Then 
again we have a smarting and itching of the skin, 
for in this case the deeper, sensitive part of the 
skin is laid bare. This is the cause of prickly 
heat. 

There is one other a&ion of perspiration, one 
that is little known, and that is what is called in 
medical parlance its excretory aftion. The sweat 
is not water, but it contains certain effete sub- 
stances which it is necessary for the body to get 
rid of, and unless the sweat is normal both in 
quality and quantity we cannot hope to enjoy 
perfedl health. 

One of the substances removed from the body 
by the sweat is fat. It is well known that a greasy 
stain is left if one presses one's finger on a sheet 
of glass. Fat is also given out in special glands, 
which will be described later on, and whose func- 

[49] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

tion is to oil the hair, and so give it gloss and 
elasticity. Thus we see that from the skin a con- 
siderable amount of fat or oil exudes. 

This is the way, and as far as I know, the best 
and safest way, of reducing weight in cases of cor- 
pulence, namely, by encouraging the free adtion 
of the skin ; for in this we only try to encourage 
Nature, not to drive or force her. 

We now turn to consider the deep, vascular, 
sensitive part of the skin — the dermis, as it is 
called in contradistinction to the epidermis, or outer 
non-vascular layers I have just described. 

This dermis is very sharply separated from th6 
epidermis by a distinct and well-marked bound- 
ary line; this line is not straight nor parallel to 
the surface of the skin, but rendered uneven and 
irregular by tiny projections of the deep layer, the 
dermis, up into the overlying epidermis. 

These projections are called papilla?, and into 
them tufts of blood-vessels run. This arrange- 
ment greatly increases the amount of blood in the 
skin, a condition which naturally favors the nutri- 
tion of the superficial parts. 

In some localities, on the pulp of the fingers 
and toes, these papilla? arrange themselves in rows 
and lines like miniature mountain chains, separated 
from each other by tiny steep-walled valleys, 
while on the summit of these conelike peaks 
open, as the yawning craters of minute volcanoes, 
the sweat-duCts. 

[So] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

Nor does the map of this strange little moun- 
tain country, this Lilliputian Switzerland, ever 
change ; but as these great eternal snow-clad giants 
(which raise their heads far, far above this world, 
with all its little plots and intrigues, all its trivial 
meanness and strife, all its petty squabblings and 
bickerings ) are immutable, unchangeable and eter- 
nal, born in that misty time of the earth's begin- 
ning, and dying with her death, so do these strange 
little Alps of ours live unchanged from the day of 
our birth to the day of our death ; and though the 
plan is not alike in any two of us, it is fixed and 
unalterable for each one of us — it is a brand by 
which, whether we will or no, we are forever 
stamped. 

This fad:, though known for centuries to the 
Chinese, was only in the last few years discovered 
in our enlightened and scientific Europe, and is 
now used as a means, a sure and certain way, of 
identifying criminals. 

The deeper layers of the skin, I have said, con- 
tain nerves; these nerves tell us of our surround- 
ings; they constantly send messages, describing 
what we touch or feel, messages of pain, warmth 
or cold, to the metropolis of our body — the 
brain. 

They are like the telegraph wires which ring 
our sea-girt island, flashing ever words of comfort 
or warning, words of peace or danger to our great 
London. 

[51] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

They may tell of raging storms and stranded 
wrecks, they may tell of sunlit glassy seas and out- 
bound passing ships, or they may flash the note of 
warning, warning of the landing of hostile armies, 
or reverberate with the roar of foreign guns. So 
do these sleepless sentinels of our body constantly 
flash their messages inward, but in one respedt 
they differ from the telegraph wires. 

One wire can carry messages of joy and grief, 
of salutation and greeting, of business and pleasure, 
but each of our tiny, wondrous little nerve wires 
has its own message. One tells the summer's 
warmth, one the winter's cold, another pain, the 
warning of an invading foe, while a fourth whether 
we touch the soft pile of velvet or rough, hard 
surface of a stone. 

The latter throng most in our sensitive finger- 
tips, while those ringing the news of heat and 
cold are found thickest and most numerous in the 
cheek — a fa 61 which the washerwoman uncon- 
sciously makes use of when she holds the iron to 
her cheek to judge its heat. 

Besides all this, we have the outward flashing 
messages from the brain, messages which order the 
growth of the skin, hair or nails ; messages which 
govern the blood-vessels, and so alter the food sup- 
ply of our skin; messages that must ring true and 
just, or else our skin is starved or overfed, our hair 
dry and brittle and our nails scarred and pitted. 

So the care of our skin does not end with our 

[52] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

skin, but involves the care of our veins, nerves and 
brain, — in fadt, the general health of our body. 
No one organ of our body is ill-important, or rather 
all are equally important ; their fun&ion and inter- 
action are so carefully and accurately adjusted that, 
like the delicate mechanism of a watch, all the 
wheels must be clean and bright, every bearing 
must run free and true, or the whole machine is 
jarred and out of gear. 

STRUCTURE OF THE HAIR 

So far we have merely considered the covering 
skin of our body, the soft, white mantle which 
protects our delicate deeper structures, the cloak 
which hides the crude nakedness of bone, flesh 
and blood. Now we must turn to the no less 
wonderful, no less interesting covering of our 
skin — the hair. 

The whole surface of our body, with the ex- 
ception of the palms of our hands and the soles 
of our feet, is covered with hair — hair strong 
and long on our head, forming our crown of 
glory; short, soft and downy elsewhere, but 
always to be seen when caught in certain reflec- 
tions of light, and which gives that peachlike 
bloom and delicate velvet texture to our cheeks. 

The hair is longest but not strongest on the 
scalp, the palm for strength being taken by the 
eyebrows and eyelashes. These two structures have 
a most important duty to perform in protecting the 

[53] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

eye from harm. The brow, though not so useful 
to us as to our ancestors, acfts as a sponge and pre- 
vents the beads of perspiration which may form 
on the forehead from trickling down into the eye 
and irritating it ; while the strong, straight lashes 
which nestle on the trembling edges of the lids 
ad: as the portcullis of an ancient keep, prote&ing 
the citadel of sight from dust and dirt — those 
missiles hurled at it by the restless winds. These 
hairs stay with us longest, being the first to come 
in infancy and the last to go in our extreme old 
age. Their duty is so important, their presence so 
necessary to us, that we cannot afford to part with 
them. 

We all admire the spreading antlers of the stag 
or the great curved horns of the bison, yet with 
strange perversity we think common or perhaps 
uninteresting our own long, waving tresses, those 
hornlike structures far finer and longer, far more 
delicate and beautiful, far more wondrous and 
glorious than the most sought after horn that may 
have adorned the heads of a Scottish stag or a 
South African eland. 

Our hair is hornlike; it is covered with the 
tiles of the horny layer of our skin, which here 
are set in most beautiful and perfect regularity, 
each one overlapping the one below in exactly the 
same manner, and fitting just as perfectly as the 
tiles on the roof of a house. Under this covering 
of tiles the hair is built up of tiny cells, carefully 

154] 




Cora Brown Potter as Theodora. 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

dovetailed and fitted into each other. Thus the 
architecture of the hair resembles that of many- 
buildings ; we have, as it were, a pillar of carefully- 
fitted stone in the center, around which a more 
resistant covering of flat slates or tiles is built. 

Nor are these little towers or pillars of which 
we are so fond built without a strong and secure 
foundation. Their foundation is dug deep, and 
engineered with care and skill, the care and skill 
that Nature lavishes on even the most trivial of 
her works or the humblest of her creatures. 

The hair springs from a bed called the hair-bed, 
which is richly supplied with nerves and blood- 
vessels and which nourishes the hair and controls 
its growth. This hair-bed is very deeply placed, 
being in the scalp, right below the level of the 
skin. Here the hair is thicker and has a greater 
diameter than elsewhere. Soon it narrows and be- 
comes cylindrical and passes up to the surface of 
the skin through a tube or channel, called the hair- 
follicle, a tube which in the case of the long hairs 
is filled completely, and which throughout its 
whole length is lined with a compadt and accu- 
rately fitting masonry of the tiles of the horny 
layer. So the hair resembles a carpenter's nail al- 
most completely buried head downward in a plank 
of timber. 

Nor does this exhaust the wonders of the hair's 
foundation. Every hair on our body has one, two, 
three, or even four little oil fadtories, tiny glands 

[55] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

which open into the follicle about midway between 
the surface and the hair-bed, and which lubricate 
the hair, giving it that elasticity, gloss and sheen 
we all so much admire. 

What could be more mechanically or scientifi- 
cally corredt than such a foundation — the ex- 
panded base of the hair which prevents it being 
plucked out, except by great violence; the close- 
fitting lining of the tube which grips and holds 
tight the growing stem; the little oil glands 
to give it elasticity and strength, and which (if 
they are inefficient) allow it to become dry and 
brittle ? 

Besides all this, the shape of these follicles mold 
and modify largely the appearance of a growing 
hair. The difference between the curly wool of 
the negro and our long, straight tresses is that in 
the former case the individual hairs are flat and 
ribbonlike, while ours are round and rodlike. 
The ribbonlike hair tends of itself to become 
curly, while the round remains straight. This is 
a general law well known to the physicist, and 
one which any one who has been over any large 
iron-works can see for himself: for as the flat steel 
shavings are cut off in the lathe, they, of them- 
selves, twist up into spirals, while an ordinary wire 
has no tendency to do so. 

The hair-follicles of the negro are slightly flat- 
tened, and mold the soft and malleable growing 
hair into the ribbonlike form, with its inherent 

[56] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

tendency to become spiral or curly, while our 
round follicles have no such action on our hair. 

I have said that the hair springs from an ex- 
ceedingly sensitive hair-bed, and is at its root very 
intimately connected with the nerves in the deeper 
part of the skin. 

This is still more true of some of the lower 
animals, who, instead of having their sense of 
touch situated in the skin like us, have it in these 
nerves at the roots of the hairs. 

We all know the long, stiff hairs which form 
the whiskers of the cat; these have their roots 
ringed round and round with nerves, and are not 
merely for ornament, but are veritable organs of 
touch. The cat intensely dislikes having them 
pulled or even stroked, while the existence of these 
tiny nerve filaments forms the scientific basis for the 
old wives' story that a cat is useless as a mouser 
after her whiskers have been cut. In our own 
heads, too, there is a strange difference in the sen- 
sitiveness of our hair. We all, when combing our 
hair, have felt the discomfort and annoyance of 
having our back hair pulled or that on our temples 
twisted, while pulling the hair on the temples or 
twisting that on the back of the neck is without 
so unpleasant consequences. This is well known 
to the cruel and mischievous schoolboy. 

The long hairs completely fill the follicles, so 
dust or microbes cannot pass down either to the 
root of the hair or into the oil-dud: ; while the 

[57] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

fine, downy hairs, being, as it were, too small for 
their follicles, allow the passage of these ever- 
present organisms down to the hair root, where 
they often set up troublesome and painful inflam- 
mation. 

The vigorous growth of the scalp hairs, too, 
always pushes the oil out, even if it should tend 
to become thick or congealed, while their very 
strength prevents the horny cells from in any way 
blocking the mouths of the follicles. 

When, however, we turn to the short, soft hairs 
of the cheek, we find a very different state of 
affairs. The oil may thicken in the follicle, while 
at the same time the hard, platelike, cast-off cells 
of the skin grow in and block the opening of the 
follicle. This plug of oil and cells does not reflect 
light, and, indeed, the cells often become dark- 
ened themselves, two conditions which make the 
plug appear blacker. This is the cause of the tiny 
black specks we often see scattered over the faces 
and backs of our less fortunate sisters. 

On the other hand, if the oil alone drys in the 
hair-follicles, which have become covered over by 
the surface layer of the skin, the thickened oil, 
being unable to escape, accumulates in the follicle 
and distends it, giving it the appearance of little 
whitish masses, about the size of a millet seed, to 
which they have been compared ever since the 
times of the ancient Greeks. 

[58] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

STRUCTURE OF THE NAILS 

I feel that I cannot close this chapter without 
describing briefly some curiously modified por- 
tions of skin on which we bestow a good deal of 
attention — I mean the nails. All the higher ani- 
mals have nails, the eagle's talons, the lion's claws 
and the horse's hoofs being merely nails. Yet, 
though the same, they vary extraordinarily in 
different animals, the horse, which walks upon 
the tip of his middle digit, having an enormously 
developed nail, while the tiger has a beautiful and 
delicate mechanism which enables him to draw 
back or retraft his claws. In one respedt we differ 
from all animals except the apes, and that is in 
having our nails situated on the back and not on 
the tip of our fingers. 

The nail with us has lost the use of tearing or 
clawing for which, in the feline tribes, it is so well 
adapted ; but it serves another purpose no less use- 
ful, though perfectly harmless. It gives support to 
the soft, delicate pulp of our finger-tips, giving 
them a firmness they would otherwise lack. It is 
also due to the nails that our fingers form such 
beautiful organs of precision, and that the strong 
yet tender touch of the skilled pianist is possible; 
and to them we owe the fad: that with clumsy 
fingers we can pick up the smallest needle or the 
thinnest thread from a table. 

The nail is formed of an altered, thickened and 
hardened part of the epidermis or upper layers of 

[59] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

the skin. The most superficial horny cells of the 
skin do not, however, take part in its formation ; 
they form the thin skin which sometimes grows 
over the root of the nail, and which we consider 
unsightly and so carefully remove. 

The nail rests on a "nail-bed," which is formed 
of the deeper layers of the skin, and which is very 
plentifully supplied with nerves and blood-vessels, 
a fad: which explains why any injury to the nail 
is so excessively painful. The root of the nail is 
embedded in the skin of the ringer, which is, as 
it were, rolled forward over it. 

The nail grows slowly forward toward the 
finger-tip, any one cell or portion of it taking 
about six months to travel the entire distance. 
Thus, if we were to injure the nail near its root 
we must bear the mark for that length of time. 
Often during an illness the nail, as other parts of 
the body, suffers or is ill-nourished; we can then 
see a line or groove which runs across the nail 
and which, as the months roll on, gradually nears 
the tip — a constant reminder of the sick-bed. 

We have now touched briefly on some of the 
broad main fadts about the skin; we have seen 
how the soft, tender cells deep down gradually be- 
come hard, strong and hornlike as they approach 
the surface; we have seen how the skin is kept 
moist and tender by the minute sweat-ducfts which 
everywhere pierce it; we have seen how it is 
nourished and supported by the vascular bed on 

[60] 



THE SKIN, HAIR & NAILS 

which it lies; we have seen how the hair is 
formed, and have studied its foundation, how it 
grows, and how it is lubricated; and, lastly, we 
have glanced at the nails and seen how necessary 
they are and what an important duty they per- 
form. 

We have noted how, with all their diversity of 
structure, these are all part of the one skin, and, 
furthermore, how their health and beauty depend 
on the general condition of the body. 

The lesson we must learn is that they must all 
be treated alike and on the same broad general 
principles, and that the only sure and certain way, 
the only true path which, though it may be long 
and steep, will infallibly lead us to the wished-for 
goal, is health — the only master key which will 
unlock the great portals of the palace of beauty. 



[6,] 



Chapter III 

CARE OF THE SKIN 

COLD BATHS 

Among the ancients the use of the hot bath was 
customary, some of the most interesting remains 
in Great Britain consisting of old Roman baths 
with their elaborate heating apparatus. Their use 
of the cold bath, however, was even more exten- 
sive; those being constructed in private houses 
were mostly destroyed when new houses were 
built. Within a few yards of where I am now 
writing is the identical Roman bath built in the 
time of Vespasian, and still in daily use. 

In India the custom is to take a cold bath daily 
and a hot bath once a week. Among the Chinese 
and Japanese more extensive use is made of the 
hot bath ; indeed, it is often used at a temperature 
that would be unbearable to us. 

This induces me to give my conclusions as to 
the relative advantages of the hot and cold bath. 

The cold bath, taken in the morning on getting 
out of a warm bed, gives a momentary shock to 
the system, with a feeling of cold, accompanied 
by blueness of the lips, from the blood being 
driven from the skin to the deeper parts of the 
body. The deeper parts being flushed with blood, 

[6a] 



CARE OF THE SKIN 

loosen and throw off the phlegm poured out dur- 
ing the night. The nose, throat and chest are 
thus cleared, to the great advantage of these parts, 
so that there is less tendency to catch cold. 

The driving of the blood to the deeper parts 
stimulates the heart to more vigorous adtion, 
which, in its turn, sends back the blood to the 
skin, which should feel a healthy, pleasant glow 
and reaction of warmth. Some persons do not 
feel the glow during the bath, but only after vig- 
orous rubbing with the bath towel. 

The exhilaration from the cold bath gives a 
freshness and ruddy glow to the cheeks and lips 
that can be secured by no other means. 

If a pleasurable sensation is not felt, but if in- 
stead there is a feeling of discomfort and chill 
after dressing, then the cold bath should be aban- 
doned for a time till the weather is warmer or 
there is an improvement in general health. For 
many people it is essential for the morning tub to 
be used with the chill off — sufficiently warm for 
a feeling of comfort to be left after it. For pro- 
moting health and vigor the cold bath is unsur- 
passed. 

My readers will here excuse a digression that I 
may give my conclusions on the adfion of the cold 
bath upon the surface of the horny layer of the 
skin. 

Cold water hardens this layer, and so tends to 
make the skin dry and harsh. This tendency is 

[63] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

obviated in those who take outdoor exercise, which 
increases the perspiration and adtion of the oil 
glands ; it is the same in hot weather. In those 
whose skins are usually unduly moist, the cold bath 
is distinctly advantageous by hardening and drying 
the horny layer and removing the excess of per- 
spiration and oily matter. The harshness of the 
skin is partly due to the hardness of cold water, and 
is lessened by using soft ( rain ) water or water that 
has been boiled. In the East the water is cooled 
by keeping it overnight in chatties, porous earthen- 
ware vessels that are exposed to a current of air. 

Should anything be used with the cold bath? 
To consider soap first. It should only be used to 
remove dirt or by those who have unusually moist, 
oily skins. 

The bath of sea water, or of sea salt added, is 
of advantage to those who are in good health and 
have strong skins. The salt adts by increasing the 
glow and in stimulating the deeper parts, particu- 
larly the heart and nervous system. These baths 
are of considerable benefit after illness or the ex- 
haustion of city life. 

In hot climates it is usual to conclude the bath 
by sponging the body over with weak spirit; and 
where there is a scarcity of water the bath must 
be replaced by sponging or a rub down with a 
damp cloth so moistened. The spirit is toned 
down with sweet-smelling essential oils, which are 
not scents. Florida water is most generally used, 

[64] 



CARE OF THE SKIN 

and Kananga water is much appreciated in the far 
East. These are not perfumes, and are used by 
men who at home have a righteous horror of any- 
thing resembling scent. 

WARM BATHS 

Warm baths are of extreme antiquity. We are 
told that the baths of Bath first became famous 
from the cure of a leper. When New Zealand 
was first discovered it was found that the Maoris 
used the native hot springs. 

Among the aborigines of various countries vapor 
baths are made by heating stones, pouring water 
over them and sitting in the steam. 

The heat of the warm bath draws the blood to 
the skin from the deeper parts, so that these parts 
are rested. The warm bath has a soothing influ- 
ence on the tired muscles and fagged brain, so that 
a good night's rest is secured. 

The effed: of the warm bath is to soften the 
horny layer, so that it can be easily removed by 
rubbing with a towel, loofah or flesh brush. The 
horny layer when removed does not reflect light, 
consequently it looks dark, and is by some mis- 
taken for dirt. Its quantity depends on the amount 
of horny layer present. On the body and limbs 
the horny layer is easily removed without injury 
to the skin; not so on the face, where the horny 
layer is thin. This is the reason why caution is 
necessary in using hot water for the face. 

[65] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The softening of the horny layer is increased 
by the adtion of soap ; indeed, soap is used to sof- 
ten the skin and render easy the removal of this 
layer. As a remover of dirt its effed: is much 
overestimated, plain water removing most dirt 
that lodges on the surface of the skin. Some dirt 
lodges between the tiles of the horny layer where 
water cannot reach it till the top tiles are softened 
and removed by soap and warm water. 

Before soap was known, Fuller's earth was used 
to remove the softened horny layer, and in many 
countries various nuts and vegetable produdts are 
used to soften this layer; but as these are com- 
monly used only on the scalp, I reserve an account 
of them till dealing with the hair. 

The soaps used for toilet purposes are a mixture 
of alkali and fat or oil. The alkali may be soda 
which occurs in hard soap, or potash, which, 
blended with fat or oil, makes soft soap. The toilet 
ammonia is a blend of the alkali ammonia and fat. 

The excellency of a soap depends on the amount 
and chemical purity of the soda, potash or am- 
monia, and the nature and purity of the animal 
fat or vegetable oil. As a rule a superfatted soap 
should be used, and must be used when the skin is 
at all dry; but when the skin is moist from the 
natural oil secreted by it, a transparent glycerin 
soap is required, for these soaps contain an excess 
of alkali which blends with the moisture and 
renders it harmless. 

[66] 



CARE OF THE SKIN 

In primitive times the skin was cleaned by rub- 
bing with various earths and clay, but as suitable 
earths were not found everywhere, and were heavy 
to carry, soon in the history of the world it was 
found that the thickened, soiled skin was softened 
by the use of fat and oil. Doubtless the ideal care 
of the skin consists in the use of warm water and 
plenty of rubbing, as is seen in the case of a race- 
horse, but as this occupies considerable time and 
muscular exertion, it is usual to employ some arti- 
ficial help. 

Even the use of oil as a skin dressing takes up a 
long time. First a small quantity, usually a tea- 
spoonful, is rubbed well into the skin, which is 
then bathed in hot water, or rubbed over with hot 
water, till both the oil and superfluous portion of 
horny layer are removed, so that the skin is left 
in a state of perfed: purity. As the skin is left a 
trifle dry by the evaporation of the water, it is 
usual to apply a very small amount of oil. 

In countries where this method of the care of 
the skin is in vogue, those who adopt it enjoy much 
better health than their neighbors who, from the 
need of devoting most of their energies to earn 
their livelihood, are unable to give the requisite 
time to the oil bath, which requires about an hour 
for its performance. Next in human progress non- 
oily vegetable matter was used for cleansing, for 
from the gum contained in it a lather was pro- 
duced, with an accompanying pleasant feeling ; but 

[67] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

the usefulness of non-oily vegetable matter soon 
became, as it is now, limited to the scalp. In place 
of soap, oatmeal or bran may be used in the bath, 
or the alkali can be put into the bath. By com- 
bining the oatmeal and alkali less of both is 
needed. The alkali and soap may be combined in 
the form of toilet ammonia, scented according to 
taste, and poured into the bath. In addition to the 
use of means for softening the horny layer, it is 
usual to apply fridtion, as with flannel, bath-gloves 
or loofah, to aid its removal. 

The pleasantest method is to use the ingredients 
direftly to the skin, by sewing them in a bag, 
which is moistened and then rubbed over the 
skin. 

After the bath is the best time to be massaged; 
for this some massage oil is required, as olive-o' 1 
or cold cream. 

If this care of the skin is adopted the whole 
body will be maintained in the pink of condition. 
The skin, where soft, may tend to be unduly moist, 
as under the armpits ; this tendency is obviated by 
washing the part with alcohol, and then applying 
a sponge wrung out of hot water. 

MEDICATED BATHS 

Various substances are used in baths for the pur- 
pose of softening the skin, such as oatmeal, or al- 
mond meal, on which a gallon of boiling water is 
poured and allowed to soak for an hour. This is 

[68] 



CARE OF THE SKIN 

mixed with the water in a full-length bath. The 
full-length bath holds about thirty gallons. The 
water should only be tepid, that is, at a tempera- 
ture of 90 to 95 deg. F. Failing a full-length 
bath, the various parts of the body may be sepa- 
rately sponged over. The following is the corredt 
amount of any one of these substances required 
for a full-length bath: 

Oatmeal 2 lb., Almond Meal 1 lb., Starch 1 lb., 
Linseed 1 lb., Marshmallow 4 lb., Seaweed ( dry ) 
4 lb., Borax 3 oz., Bicarbonate of Soda or of 
Potash 2 oz. 

Permanganate of potash ( 1 oz. ) is of service 
when there is excess of perspiration. The ingre- 
dients that contain powder can be put in a muslin 
bag which can be used as a sponge. 

A home-made vapor, that is, a Russian bath, 
can be constructed by using a spirit lamp with a 
small kettle placed in a bucket, under a chair with 
a wooden bottom, on which the bather sits, 
wrapped in one or more blankets, the head being 
left out. 

Another way of improvising a Russian bath 
consists in placing a bucket half full of boiling 
water under a chair on which the bather sits, sur- 
rounded by blankets, and from time to time drop- 
ping a brick, heated in the oven, or a clay ball of 
the kind commonly used in fireplaces, for the pur- 
pose of diffusing heat. 

A dry air, that is a Turkish bath, can be made 

[69] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

with a spirit lamp, so that hot air instead of vapor 
surrounds the bather. The effed: of these baths is 
increased by wrapping the bather in a wet pack 
when resting on a couch, the pack being made by 
wringing out a sheet in hot water. 

These baths soften the horny layer and increase 
the moisture poured out by the skin, and they are 
of service when the skin is dry at the commence- 
ment of a cold, or when a cold does not entirely 
clear off. Their main use, however, is when pass- 
ing from cold to warm weather, as at the com- 
mencement of summer, or when commencing 
residence in a warm climate, when the heat, act- 
ing on a skin unaccustomed to free perspiration, 
may cause prickly heat or nettle-rash. The adlion 
of these baths is maintained by lightly applying 
cold cream to any part of the body where there 
is a tendency to itching or irritation. 

Bath Powders — These are used to soften wa- 
ter ; they consist of scented carbonate of soda, and 
biborate of soda or borax. Violet bath powder is 
made by scenting one pound of crystallized carbon- 
ate of soda, which is best, or one pound of borax, 
with fifteen grains of ionone, and coloring with 
one grain of anilin violet. 

Lavender bath powder is scented with half a 
dram of oil of lavender. 

One heaped teaspoonful is used for a bath, and 
as much as will cover a ten-cent piece for a wash- 
hand basin. 

[7°] 



CARE OF THE SKIN 

Oatmeal bath powder has an artificial oatmeal 
odor, but contains no oatmeal, or a few grains at 
most, so that the manufacturers may escape legal 
proceedings. 

Bath Pads — The way to combine the effect 
of oatmeal and soda is to mix a quarter of a pound 
of the soda preparation with one pound of oat- 
meal, and sew up the mixture in twelve bags made 
from pieces of Turkey toweling, each bag measur- 
ing 4 by 6 inches, a convenient size to hold in the 
hand, the bag to be used as a sponge or loofah to 
apply friction to the skin. The proportion of meal 
and soda should be varied according to the hard- 
ness of the local water; this can always be calcu- 
lated by the local chemist, the soda and oatmeal 
(or almond meal) mixture being scented as indi- 
vidual taste may indicate. This combination of 
soda, meal and scent, besides softening the water, 
cleans and softens the skin, while the scent imparts 
a refreshing vigor to it even in the hottest weather. 

Pleasant scent is oil of lemon one dram, oil of 
orris ten drops and ten drops of oil of ylang-ylang 
to each pound of mixture. 

Effervescing Bath Tablets — These consist 
of scented baking-powder, made into a paste with 
starch and methylated ether. Instead of having 
this made into tablets, it can be prepared as a pow- 
der, by mixing three ounces of bicarbonate of soda 
with two and a half ounces of tartaric acid, and 
perfuming by the addition of four ounces of starch 

[71] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

mixed with half a dram of oil of lemon, five 
drops of oil of ionone and five drops of oil of 
ylang-ylang. Of this powder two heaped teaspoon- 
fuls are used for a bath ; twice as much as the still 
bath powder is used, because the soda preparation 
contains less sodium and the tartaric acid escapes 
into the air when the powder effervesces. 



[72] 



Chapter IV 

THE HAIR 

A GREAT AID TO BEAUTY 

J. he beauty of all the higher animals depends on 
the coloring and texture of their hair or fur, or in 
the case of birds of their wondrous plumage, a 
structure which may be considered as analogous 
to hair. 

It is only when we glance right down the ani- 
mal scale, down through the countless host of 
warm-blooded creatures, down to the reptiles, am- 
phibians and fishes do we find beauty depending on 
the skin. The silvery scales of the salmon, the 
fascinating yet terrifying beauty of the snake, the 
ever-changing tints of the chameleon, are all of 
them examples of the care lavished by Nature on 
the skins of all, even the humblest of her creations. 

With us it is different. Our beauty depends in 
part on the color and texture of our hair, in part 
on the softness and whiteness of our skin and in 
part on the delicate bloom of our cheeks and lips. 
It almost seems as if Mother Nature was content 
to allow her more lowly offspring to be adorned 
in one respedt, and in one respedt alone ; while on 
us, the greatest triumph of creation, has she lavished 
all her hoarded treasure and all the secrets of her 

[73] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

art, — making us surpass each one of the lower 
animals in his own particular point of beauty. 
Our hair is far more glorious than the richest sa- 
ble, our skin softer than any other creature's and 
our form more graceful than that of the stately 
swan. In all respedts are we Nature's masterpiece, 
but in none is this more marked than in our flow- 
ing tresses. 

For the student of humanity, too, does the hair 
present special attractions. Its endless variety of 
hue and tint, its strange differences in length and 
texture, and last, but not least, the ideas and notions 
of the various tribes and nations as to the means 
of wearing it and caring for it, form a study which 
is surpassed by none in fascination and interest. 
The curly wool of the negro, the long, coarse 
black hair of the Tartar and the light golden locks 
of the Teutonic races are types far too well known 
to need description here: nor is this the place to 
speculate on the probable causes of such a diversity. 
The true cause is not known ; while the supposed 
causes and learned theories which have been from 
time to time put forward to explain these racial 
differences are wanting in that simple dire&ness 
which carries convi&ion. 

We know, however, that certain climates — es- 
pecially warm, moist climates — tend to produce a 
more luxuriant and stronger growth of hair than 
others ; but whether climate has any influence on 
its color is at present unsettled. At first sight it 

[74] 



THE HAIR 

would seem as if this were so, for we find dark or 
black hair predominating in the tropics, while light 
hair is only seen in more temperate or even cold 
regions. However, against this must we place the 
fad: that the Eskimo has, as a rule, dark hair. 

One is at once struck by the fad: that our sex 
has always been noted for having long, luxuriant 
tresses. This has been ever, and rightly so, con- 
sidered as their crown of beauty, while the hair 
of the sterner sex is rarely as long or as beautiful. 
This difference, as well as the beard of the male, 
are points to which Darwin has given considera- 
ble attention in one of his more important works. 
The subject is, however, too abstruse for this little 
treatise. 

To the archaeologist and historian, too, is the 
study of the hair a fascinating and absorbing topic. 
It is often possible to recognize the occupation or 
status of the subject from the head of a Greek or 
Roman statue. Thus the gladiator, like the mod- 
ern pugilist, had his hair closely cropped, the ath- 
lete had his bound up, while the citizen generally 
had the back part of his hair, at least, long and 
flowing down nearly to his shoulders. The Greek 
women fastened their hair in a knot, which was 
generally held in place with a pin. Among the 
Athenians this often took the form of a grasshop- 
per, an emblem which expressed that they were 
children of the Earth. The Roman ladies first 
had their hair confined in a simple net ; afterward, 

[75] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

as the luxury of the empire increased, they had most 
elaborate coiffures, dressing and braiding their hair 
to an extent which has hardly ever been surpassed. 

Both the Greeks and Romans preferred blond 
hair. We hear of the former using washes and 
pomades in which yellow flowers were steeped to 
give their locks the desired hue. 

Both Ceres and Venus were described as golden- 
haired, while a similar epithet was applied to the 
locks of fair Helen of Troy. 

After the Germanic wars, the Roman ladies 
were much struck by the beautiful yellow hair of 
the conquered prisoners, and this color immediately 
became fashionable. Not only did they use every 
art to dye their own hair this desired hue, but they 
bought at great price tresses imported from the 
northern countries, which they fashioned into wigs 
and false fronts. This is not, however, the first time 
wigs were worn. The Egyptians were very skil- 
ful in making them, as many beautiful examples 
of their work have come down to us; and it is 
thought probable, by those best qualified to judge, 
that the art was also known to the Assyrians. 
Certainly from a study of their bas-reliefs one 
would be led to such a conclusion. 

Nor did the toilet of these Roman dames end 
with the coiffure; they used powders and washes 
for the complexion, painted their eyebrows and 
lashes, and even touched up the veins on their 
temples a delicate blue color. 

[76] 



THE HAIR 

Turning to more modern times, we find that the 
Norman ladies usually wore their hair in long, 
heavy braids, generally two in number, which fell 
down either in front or behind, while the head 
was covered with a wimple. Later in the fourteenth 
and fifteenth centuries the wimple was superseded 
by very elaborate head-dresses. 

Queen Elizabeth is said to have died possessed 
of no less than eighty wigs, while Mary Queen of 
Scots also used them, though apparently only oc- 
casionally. Her maid-in-waiting, Mary Seton, was, 
according to Lord Knollys, a skilled busker, and 
"did set such a curled hair upon the Queen that 
was said to be a perwyke, that shewed very deli- 
cately, and every other day she hath a new device 
of hair-dressing/ ' 

The fashion of wearing wigs by men was first 
started by Louis XIII, who was bald. It flourished 
in France some years before it became common in 
England. Samuel Pepys mentions in his diary that 
he paid three guineas for one, and with charming 
naivete adds that he did not find it nearly as strange 
and uncomfortable as he expedted the first time he 
wore it in church. 

About this time the craze for powdered hair 
was universal, and the toilets of the ladies' tresses 
reached an almost monumental pitch, where true 
and false hair were indiscriminately mixed, produc- 
ing a covering unsurpassed in extravagance, and 
often in bad taste. 

[77] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Many professions, too, are distinguished by their 
hair-dress, especially by the amount of hair on their 
faces. Thus the priests of the Greek Church wear 
their beard and hair long, while the Roman priest 
is distinguished by the tonsure. In England the 
soldier is only allowed to have a moustache, a 
fashion which is followed by very many civilians. 
There is very often a cause deep down from which 
these customs spring. Thus, those who speak 
much, such as barristers and preachers, prefer to 
have their lips clean-shaven, as they require the 
mouth to be as mobile and as flexible as possible to 
bring out those subtle inflections of tone and clear 
enunciation of words that are so necessary for them ; 
while the singer, who chiefly uses his throat and 
palate, prefers to stiffen and immobilize his upper 
lip by means of a moustache. Grooms also are 
clean-shaven to prevent the dust and germs, with 
which they are brought into contact in their work, 
from clinging. 

It is curious to note how little laws and edidls 
can alter these customs. Apropos of this I may 
mention that formerly the Chinese shaved their 
heads. When, however, they were conquered by 
the long-haired Tartars a law was passed that the 
hair should be worn long. 

Unfortunately, this edid: did not mention how 
much of the hair should be grown long, so the 
wily Chinese continued to shave the whole of 
his head, except a small patch about the size of 

[78] 



THE HAIR 

the palm of the hand, from which his pigtail 
springs. 

CARE OF THE HAIR 

As the health and luxuriance of any plant depend 
on the fertility and richness of the soil from which 
it springs, so do the health, gloss and sheen of our 
hair depend on the state of the scalp. The care of 
the hair involves the care of the scalp, or rather is 
the care of the scalp ; the care of the hair matters 
but little ; for from a healthy scalp can only healthy 
and beautiful hair grow. 

The luster of the hair depends on the amount of 
light that is reflected from each particular fiber; 
this in turn depends on whether it is covered with 
an excessively thin coating of oil or not. In de- 
scribing the structure of the hair, I mentioned 
that each individual hair was lubricated by the se- 
cretion of one or more little oil glands which 
opened into the channel through which it passes 
to the surface of the skin. Unless this oil, or some 
artificial substitute for it, is spread over the whole 
length of the hair, we see that dull lack-luster which 
is so unsightly and which takes away all the beauty 
and brightness of an otherwise healthy head. 

Brushing — The main objed: of brushing the 
hair is to distribute this oil evenly and uniformly 
throughout its whole length; while a second and 
less important objed: is to remove any dust that 
may chance to fall on the head. 

[79] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The natural oil comes in contact with the hair 
at the point where it emerges from the skin ; here 
it tends to dry, being exposed to the air, and will, 
in the course of time, fall off, leaving the hair dull 
and lusterless. 

The art of hair-brushing — for there is an art 
in it — is to distribute this oil evenly from end to 
end of the hair. 

It is best to begin gently with one side of the 
brush, holding the back toward the direction in 
which the hair is being brushed. Thus if the hair 
on the right side of the head is being dressed, first 
hold the brush with its back toward the right. In 
this way the scalp will not be irritated by the 
bristles. When the brush is some short distance 
from the head, bring it down flat on the hair, and 
finally draw the hair ends through the other side 
of the brush. If this is carried out it will be found 
that at the end of the stroke, if this term may be 
used, the bristles look in the same direftion as the 
back did at its commencement. This method of 
using the brush insures that the whole length of 
the hair receives due care, and also that both sides 
of the brush are equally used. The use of the 
comb is to disentangle the hairs so that the brush 
may sweep evenly from end to end through them ; 
it should never be used like a harrow on a fallow 
field, to rake up the surface of the scalp, nor should 
the brush be used like a curry-comb to remove the 
scurf from the skin. 

[ «o-] 



THE HAIR 

Up to this point I have considered the hair as a 
lifeless, insensitive substance, as devoid of feeling as 
the hair of a wig. But this is not striftly true. 
Brushing materially increases the life of the hair, 
and allows it to grow longer and stronger, by 
loosening the horny cells which line the hair chan- 
nel, and which would otherwise press on the hair 
root, and not only interfere with its nourishment, 
but often choke and strangle the growing hair. 
Brushing also, since it causes gentle tradtion to be 
brought to bear on the hair root ( when the hair, 
not the scalp, is brushed), increases the blood sup- 
ply to these important structures and so invigorates 
their growth; at the same time more blood is 
brought to the tiny nerves which surround the 
roots, — a condition which produces that well- 
known soothing effed: of having the hair brushed 
when one is tired or has a headache. 

The natural gloss of the hair can be increased, 
or restored if wanting, by the artificial use of some 
oil or oily matter. 

PREPARATIONS FOR THE HAIR 

Brilliantine — In the East, where the natives 
have thick hair, undiluted crude oils, suitably 
scented, are used. In the West, thinner, usually di- 
luted substances are much preferred, as, for exam- 
ple, a mixture of equal parts of castor-oil and 
rectified spirit, which is generally known as bril- 
liantine. Castor-oil is used for this purpose, as it is 

[81] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

the only fixed or non-volatile oil which is soluble 
in alcohol; any other oil is quite insoluble in this 
substance, and though such may be intermingled 
by shaking, they will separate immediately they 
are allowed to stand. Separable brilliantine is 
merely a mixture of olive- or sweet-oil and spirit, 
and the bottle must be accordingly well shaken 
before any of the contents can be applied to the 
head. An endless variety of brilliantines and hair 
tonics are sold that only differ in their scent and 
color. Ordinary toilet scents do not contain suffi- 
ciently strong spirit, so that essences are used, as 
Cologne Brilliantine : 

Cologne Essence i dram, Odorless Castor-oil 2 
drams, Rectified Spirit i oz. 

Hair Creams — Hair Creams are diluted 
scented oils. The simplest is a mixture of equal 
parts of almond-oil and lime-water, scented with 
five drops of oil of lemon to the ounce. It is 
known on the market as lime-juice and glycerin. 

Another preparation is made up as follows: — 
Shake fifteen drops of tin&ure of senega with half 
an ounce of almond-oil, then add a dram of gly- 
cerin, half an ounce of lime-juice and one ounce 
of water. On standing, the oil and the water 
separate, and these mixtures, though some of the 
best preparations for the hair, do not look well. 

A better-looking cream is made by dissolving 
one dram of curd soap in two ounces and a half 
of water, and adding the same amount of almond- 



THE HAIR 

or olive-oil. Castor-oil cream is made by mixing 
half a dram of the oil with three ounces of recti- 
fied spirit. 

A very excellent cream, that also cleanses the 
scalp and removes scurf, is ten grains of borax dis- 
solved in one ounce of water, to this one ounce of 
almond- or olive-oil is added, and two drops of 
lavender-oil to perfume it. 

Any of the following perfumes may be used for 
these creams, the quantities given being enough 
to scent one ounce: 

(i) Oil of Lemon 2j^ drops, Oil of Bergamot i 
drop. 

(2) Oil of Lemon ny 2 drops, Oil of Bergamot 1 
drop, Oil of Verbena 1 drop. 

( 3 ) Oil of Orange Flower 1 drop, Oil of Cinna- 
mon 1 drop. 

(4) Oil of Orange Flower 1 drop, Essential Oil of 
Almonds 1 drop. 

(5) Oil of Verbena 1 drop, Oil of Cassia or Cloves 
1 drop. 

Probably the best way to apply these creams is 
to pour a few drops into the palm of the hand 
and brush the hair, dipping the end of the brush 
from time to time into the preparation. 

Pomades — Pomade, otherwise called pomatum, 
is a relic of the days before hair-brushes were in- 
vented. The word is derived from the Latin word 
pomum (an apple), and the reason that this word 
became conne&ed with any hair preparation is that 
formerly the hair was rubbed with the cut surface 

[83] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

of an apple, both to serve the same use as a brush 
and also to give it a gloss. Later the hair was 
brushed with a wisp of vegetable fibers, and finally 
bristles or hairs were fastened into a piece of wood 
and called a brush. From the apple, pomade came 
to mean any substance or preparation used to give 
a gloss to the hair, and this is the meaning now 
attached to it by hair-dressers, chemists and the 
medical profession. The word pomade has yet an- 
other meaning. Formerly the oils used for the 
hair were scented by steeping flowers in them to 
extradt their odors; now flowers are by the per- 
fumer soaked in oil ; these scented oils are known 
to him as pomades, and from them some of the 
finest natural scents are obtained by distillation. 
These pomades also form the basis of many im- 
portant toilet preparations. 

The following are the receipts of some of the 
best pomades: 

Olive-oil i dr., Beef Marrow i oz. 

The ordinary animal fats are too hard to be 
used as pomade ; they are accordingly mixed with 
some oil, or the specially soft, oily fat of the 
marrow is chosen. 

Wax 2 dr., Almond-oil i dr., Lard 4 dr. 

These may be scented by any of the prepara- 
tions described under the creams. 

Bear's grease was formerly very extensively 
used. It is hardly necessary to say that most of 

[ 84 ] 



THE HAIR 

the preparations sold contain no bear's grease, but 
are mainly a pomade very similar to those de- 
scribed above. 

Oils — Oils have been used from time imme- 
morial as a hair-dressing, but in this country many 
consider that the undiluted oil is too thick for 
comfort. 

A good hair-oil consists of: 

Castor-oil i dr., Almond-oil 4 dr., Solid Paraffin 
6 dr., Olive-oil 1 oz. 

The fashion of dressing the hair has in the 
course of time undergone many changes. In the 
eighteenth century the hair was powdered and 
copiously anointed with scented oils. For a time 
after powder had died out of use, the hair was 
still treated with a considerable amount of oil or 
grease, and as a consequence when the hair was 
washed very strong soaps were necessary to remove 
this grease. Now the amount of hair-dressing is 
very much less, so we do not need nearly so much 
soap for the head. 

Hair Tonics — The word tonic, as applied to a 
preparation for the hair, denotes such preparations 
as improve its growth and general appearance, the 
term being most often applied to brilliantine and 
toilet paraffin. Frequently, however, hair tonic con- 
tains Jaborandi, or its principal ingredient, Pilo- 
carpine. 

There has been considerable discussion over the 
use of Jaborandi since the natives of South America 

[85] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

were found to have long and luxuriant tresses, and 
owing to their wealth of hair were considered to 
be Amazons, — hence the name of the greatest 
river in the world, and the territory six times the 
size of the British Isles. 

Some think that the hair-growing property is 
contained in the Pilocarpine, and use: 

Pilocarpine Lotion — 

Pilocarpine Nitrate i gr., Quinine Hydrochloride 
i gr., Glycerin 2 dr., Rose Water to make i oz. 

Others are of the opinion that Jaborandi leaves 
contain other ingredients equally, if not more, ef- 
ficacious. As there is much to be said for both 
views, it is customary to blend both ingredients in 
the best Jaborandi Tonic thus: 

Jaborandi Tonic — 

Pilocarpine Nitrate i gr., Quinine Sulphate i gr., 
Glycerin i dr., Spirit of Nutmeg i dr., Jaborandi 
Tincture i dr., Rectified Spirit to make i oz. 

Both the lotion and tonic are rubbed into the 
scalp every morning. 

Travelers who are intimately acquainted with 
the equatorial regions of South America tell me 
that the secret of the efficacy of Jaborandi and 
Pilocarpine depends chiefly upon how they are 
used. 

Both stimulate the skin and increase the flow 
of oil and fluid, but by themselves have little 
action, their function being elicited by drinking 
warm water, while it is at the same time essential 

[86] 



THE HAIR 

that air should have free access to the scalp and 
the rest of the body should be kept warm. This 
is effected by drinking a tumbler of hot water 
with five drops of liquid extrad: of Jaborandi on 
going to bed, and not binding the hair in any way. 

WASHING THE HAIR 

The objedt of washing the hair and scalp is not 
only to clean them, but also to remove the cast- 
off parts of the horny layer of the skin. 

The skin of the scalp is peculiar in that it pos- 
sesses a very thick horny layer, which is not cast 
off, as elsewhere, in minute, almost invisible 
particles, but in large scales which form scurf, 
dandruff or dandrifF, for all three terms are indis- 
criminately applied to them. These scales remain 
in part adherent to the scalp and in part entangled 
in the hair. 

The morning tub, commenced by douching the 
head, hardens the horny layer and hampers its re- 
moval. This blocks up the hair channels, dries up 
the natural oil and interferes with the growth of 
the hair. Those who regularly douche their head 
in the morning should keep their hair short, so 
that the scurf can be removed from the scalp by 
assiduous use of the towel. 

In every country there are various vegetable prod- 
ucts, barks or berries that are used for cleaning 
the hair; the only one generally and extensively 
used in Europe is quillaja bark, or, as it is often 

[87] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

called, Panama bark or soap bark. From it hair 
washes and applications for the skin and mouth 
are manufactured. 

For the scalp generally a stronger soap is re- 
quired than for the rest of the body; often soft 
soap must be used, but usually ammonia soap, sold 
under the name of toilet ammonia, liquid am- 
monia or cloudy ammonia, is strong enough. 
Ammonia in its various forms is much used for 
cleaning and stimulating the scalp, and it has the 
special advantage of acting quickly and soon evap- 
orating, while it does not injure the texture of the 
hair. 

Whatever is used for washing the head, it is 
most important that it should be properly applied. 
The soap or substance used should be well rubbed 
in till a good lather is produced, and the scalp 
should be then shampooed with the tips of the 
fingers. The nails should never be used for this 
purpose. The lather is then washed out with 
warm water, fresh wash water being used as long 
as any soap is present, and lastly the hair is dried. 
It is important the last wash water should be soft 
water, preferably rain-water. If that is not pro- 
curable, then boiled water. The quicker this can 
be done the better, and it should be completed 
with a warm towel or in front of a fire. It is best 
to wash the hair at night; the next morning the 
coiffure should be completed with the use of the 
favorite application and a good brushing. The 

[88] 




Mrs. James Brown Potter. 



THE HAIR 

disadvantage of using soap for the hair is that it 
removes the natural oil. This must be artificially 
replaced. Vegetable shampoos are free from this 
objection. 

SHAMPOOS 

Egg Shampoo — One of the best preparations 
for cleaning the scalp is made by putting the yolks 
of two eggs into a pint bottle with an ounce of 
glycerite of borax and a tablespoonful of water, 
and shaking well the mixture. Water should then 
be added, a tablespoonful at a time, shaking the 
bottle after each addition, till the bottle is full. 
The yolk of the eggs unites with the natural oil 
to form soap; the borax cleanses the scalp, while 
the glycerin restores the gloss to the hair. If there 
is any tendency to scurf, an ounce of shredded 
soap, dissolved in a cupful of boiling water, should 
be added to the shampoo. It is best scented by 
twenty drops of rose-geranium oil and ten drops 
of oil of lavender. Egg shampoo, or egg julep as 
it is often called, has only one disadvantage, — it 
will not keep for more than a day or two, and 
must be always made fresh when required. 

Liquid Shampoos consist of soap dissolved in 
water with potash, soda or ammonia ; to this an aro- 
matic water, or alcohol, should be added to keep 
it. A convenient prescription is to shred a dram 
of soap into a cupful of boiling water. This is 
put into a pint bottle with half an ounce of 

[89] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

biborate of soda, or, as it is commonly called, 
borax, or half an ounce of solution of potash, or a 
quarter of an ounce of solution of ammonia. The 
bottle is well shaken, and then filled up with either 
plain or camphor water to which an ounce of 
re&ified spirit is added. 

Camphor water is conveniently made by putting 
a piece of camphor into a bottle of water for 
forty-eight hours, and shaking occasionally. If the 
odor of the camphor is displeasing, the scent men- 
tioned above, or any other that fancy may suggest, 
can be used. 

Another very pleasant fluid shampoo is formed 
by: 

Toilet Ammonia J^ dr., Tindhire of Quillaja J^ dr., 
Rectified Spirit 7 dr., Oil of Lavender 10 drops. 

Dry Shampoos — A great many people prefer 
dry shampoos, as they are not so troublesome, 
and they are very nearly as efficacious as the wet 
ones. 

They are usually composed of soap or soap 
bark and ammonia, dissolved in strong spirit, the 
mixture being used in a concentrated form. 

The following receipts, which will be found to 
be second to none, are derived from an excellent 
book of formulas published by the Chemist and 
Druggist newspaper, London : 

Curd Soap 1 dr., Oil of Lavender 1 dr., Solution of 
Ammonia 1 oz., Water 3 oz., Rectified Spirit 



8 oz. 



[90] 



THE HAIR 

Another is: 

Essence of Bitter Almonds i dr.. Strong Solution 
of Ammonia 4 dr., Eau de Cologne 1 oz., 
Tincture of Soap Bark 10 oz. 

The foregoing are suited to individuals who like 
having their hair shampooed; they remove the 
scurf from the scalp, so that it can be easily 
brushed from the hair. Their only disadvantage 
is that they leave the scalp and hair unduly dry. 

They should be poured on the scalp, which is 
then well massaged with the pulp of the fingers, 
taking care to go over the whole head evenly and 
thoroughly. The fingers are much better for this 
than the palm of the hand, which only pulls the 
hair and does not massage the scalp. 

Shampoo Powder — Instead of using soap for 
washing the head, a shampoo powder such as the 
following may be used: 

Borax 3 dr., Washing Soda (dried) 1 dr., Hard 
Soap in Powder 4 dr. 

This may be scented with a dram of camphor 
and ten drops of either oil of rosemary or of ver- 
bena. 

Sprays — It is most refreshing to have the hair 
sprayed with a scented solution of either spirit or 
vinegar. After this has been done the head is 
fanned with either a hand or eledxic fan, to pro- 
mote the evaporation of the spray. 

Bay rum is the best preparation for spraying 
the hair. It is what medical men term "official" 

[91] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

in America, — that is, it is there placed on the 
standard list of drugs and remedies called the 
Pharmacopoeia. Every country has its own official 
Pharmacopoeia, but all chemists know the prepara- 
tions which are standard anywhere, and can be 
trusted to compound them accurately and accord- 
ing to the prescribed instructions. 

The best bay rum is made from the fresh leaves 
and berries in the West Indies; it can, however, 
be made anywhere, but as the process is exceed- 
ingly difficult and requires distillation and redis- 
tillation, I have not given any receipt. It will be 
found better and cheaper to buy it from a recog- 
nized chemist. 

CUTTING THE HAIR 

It is generally necessary to cut the hair to pre- 
vent its weight dragging too much on the hair 
roots and weakening them. If this occurs the 
want of nourishment will cause the hair to be 
shed. Besides this, if one carefully examines the 
hair ends, it will be found that they are like tiny 
little brushes, and have a ragged, frayed-out ap- 
pearance. These, small as they are, owing to their 
great numbers, impair the natural gloss and bril- 
liancy of the head. These ends can be conveniently 
removed with very little loss of hair substance by 
singeing. 

An important element in the skill of the coiffeur 
consists in knowing exactly how much hair to 

[92] 



THE HAIR 

remove. If he does not take away enough, there is 
a risk of the hair falling and becoming thin, while 
if too much is removed we naturally lose in per- 
sonal appearance, though the hair remains strong 
and thick. If, accordingly, there is any tendency 
to the hair falling or becoming thin, it ought to 
be cut fairly short, otherwise we should leave it as 
long as possible. 

MASSAGE OF THE SCALP 

But we have other ways of increasing the growth 
and luxuriance of our locks. We know that the 
health, tone and blood supply of the skin is in- 
creased by massage, and nowhere is this more 
marked than in the scalp. 

The scalp should be regularly massaged, and that 
this should be efficiently carried out a fixed routine 
must be followed. 

First, put the tips of the extended fingers of 
each hand one on either side of the head, work 
them gradually upward with a short, sawing 
movement till they meet in the middle line at the 
top of the head. Do this all over each side of the 
head, beginning at the temples and ending at the 
back. 

Next place the fingers of the right hand at the 
upper edge of the forehead and those of the left 
at the back of the head, and work them in a sim- 
ilar manner up to an imaginary line running over 
the head from ear to ear. 

[93] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Lastly, place the elbows on a table, and rest the 
head on the extended finger-tips, which should 
press firmly on the scalp. Now move the head 
slowly backward and forward, so that the scalp 
glides to and fro over the deeper structures be- 
neath it. This should be done all over the head. 

Any one who fears that her hair is becoming 
thin or weak cannot afford to negled: a regular 
massage of the scalp. 

CARE OF HAIR AT NIGHT 

On retiring at night the hair should be care- 
fully brushed, but not bound up or plaited. It 
should be allowed to fall over the pillow, not 
under the head and shoulders, so that it will get 
as much air as possible. Air is most important for 
the nutrition of the hair, and the custom of spread- 
ing the hair out at night is one that has long been 
practised by the Japanese belles. 

THE HAIR-BRUSH 

The one all-important instrument in our armory 
of implements for preserving the health and beauty 
of the hair is the brush. It should be chosen with 
care; the bristles should not be hard, but soft and 
flexible; they may with advantage be rather 
coarse and ought to be cut different lengths; its 
size and shape are entirely matters of personal 
taste. 

The brush should be frequently washed. One 

[94] 



THE HAIR 

cannot give definite times for this, as it depends 
very largely on whether the owner lives in a smoky 
city or in the fresh, green country, and whether 
the brush is exposed to the dust and heat of the 
tropics or in the purer air of a colder clime, — suf- 
fice it to say that one ought to clean it as soon as 
it shows signs of becoming soiled. 

The best way of cleaning hair-brushes is first to 
remove carefully all hairs that may have become 
entangled in the bristles, then dip them in a strong 
solution of washing soda in very hot water. This 
should be in a flat basin, and the fluid should only 
come a little more than half-way up the bristles, 
so as not to touch or injure the back or handle. 
Rub the brush briskly in this solution for about a 
minute, then instantly transfer it to a second simi- 
lar basin containing only warm water. Rinse it in 
this for about the same time, changing the water 
as soon as it becomes colored. If one application 
of soda is not enough, the brush can be again 
placed in it, and then transferred back to the plain 
water. The brush ought not to be left for any 
length of time in the soda solution, as one may 
ruin the bristles by making them too soft, but all 
danger is avoided by going from one basin to the 
other, and then as often as needful back again to 
the first. Finally the brush should be dried with 
a towel, and then in the sun or in front of the 
fire, taking care not to use enough heat to warp 
the wood or loosen the glue. 

[95] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

SCURF 

Scurf, dandruff or dandriff in the hair is a 
perfe&ly natural produdt, consisting of scales of 
the horny layer of the skin mixed with the dried oil 
from the oil glands. It is only when it is excessive 
in amount that it becomes injurious and disfiguring. 

On the scalp the horny layer grows more rap- 
idly than elsewhere and also is more extensive, 
as it dips down into the countless channels from 
which the hairs spring. This growth is most 
vigorous in those individuals who have, or should 
have, strong, rapidly growing, thick hair. When 
separated from the scalp it lodges in the hair, 
where it can be seen as fine scales, pellicules as the 
French call them, or as little rings around the 
lower parts of the hair near the scalp. 

However, scurf is not entirely formed by these 
flakes of the horny layer, but to a large extent also 
by the dried-up natural oil of the hair. This 
mixes with the scales, and cements them to each 
other and to the hairs, making it much more dif- 
ficult to remove them thoroughly. 

Individuals with excess of dandruff have adtive 
skins ; in fadt, this condition is largely due to over- 
adtion of the skin. Such people generally leave a 
more conspicuous greasy stain if they press their 
finger on a piece of glass than is usual with those 
who possess drier skins. 

So long as there is excess of scurf present in the 
head, the growth of the hair is enfeebled, and 

[96] 



THE HAIR 

among men, at least, this is a very common cause 
of baldness. These considerations show that the 
care of the hair is not as simple as one might at 
first sight suppose, and differs markedly from the 
case of a wig, which need only be cleaned with 
paraffin and have its gloss restored with brillian- 
tine. So long as scurf is present in the scalp, the 
only way of securing a luxuriant growth of hair 
is to remove it and to prevent its recurrence. 

An excellent shampoo to remove scurf is two 
drams of solution of ammonia and three drams of 
soft soap, dissolved in half a pint of water, into 
which a well-beaten egg is slowly stirred. 

This, of course, will not keep more than a few 
days, but a more permanent preparation consists 
of chloride of ammonia (sal ammoniac) half an 
ounce, curd soap one ounce, carbonate of potash 
two ounces, dissolved in a pint of rosemary tea. 
Instead of making the rosemary tea, an ounce of 
spirit of rosemary can be used and the shampoo 
made up to a pint with water. 

For a scurfy condition it is specially necessary 
to massage the scalp very thoroughly, while in ad- 
dition to the exercises described above, the follow- 
ing will be found advantageous: press the fingers 
of the two hands firmly on different parts of the 
scalp, then move them round and round in small 
circles; secondly, with the two hands side by side, 
move the tips of the fingers briskly to and fro on 
the head. 

[97] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

When scurf is present the only dressing required 
for the hair is paraffin, either soft paraffin or the 
liquid toilet paraffin ; as there is excess of oil, no 
oily preparation should be used, nor should spirit 
be applied to the head, as it detaches and breaks up 
the horny layer, somewhat in the same way as frost 
disintegrates rocks. 

The following are useful dressings for a scalp 
which has a tendency toward scurf formation: 

Glycerite of Borax y 2 dr., Rose Water i oz. 
Or, if one prefers it, a more solid preparation is 
watery wool fat, to each ounce of which two drams 
of rose water have been added. 

After the excess of scurf has been removed its 
formation can be prevented by a solution of two 
grains of borax to an ounce of camphor water. 
This should be rubbed into the scalp twice a week, 
or oftener if the scurf falls when the hair is brushed. 

When scurf has been present for some time ( and 
it is surprising how many years this condition may 
be put up with before any appropriate treatment is 
adopted), the hair becomes dry and requires a 
cleansing and oily preparation, such as : 

Resorcin 10 gr., Ether 10 drops, Eau de Cologne 
i y 2 dr., Rectified Spirit to make i oz. 
This is best sprinkled into the hair every morn- 
ing. Resorcin is one of the best cleansing prepara- 
tions for the scalp; but here let me add a word of 
caution — one should avoid using, either immedi- 
ately before or after it, any soap, soda, potash or 

[98] 



THE HAIR 

ammonia, otherwise the tint of the hair may be 
altered ; nor should it be used for any considerable 
length of time on the head. 

The following are most excellent preparations 
containing this valuable drug; the second has the 
advantage of containing at the same time an oil: 

( i ) Resorcin i dr., Compound Tincture of Benzoin 
40 drops, Rectified Spirit 3 oz., Rose Water 3 oz. 

( 2 ) Resorcin 5 gr., Castor-oil 20 drops, Balsam of 
Peru 5 gr., Rectified Spirit 1 oz. 

These should be lightly rubbed into the head 
every morning. 

Salicylic acid is also excellent for cleaning a dry 
scalp when the hair is lacking in luster; it may 
be conveniently used to replace resorcin when the 
latter has been used for some time. 

I here give receipts for an ointment and for a 
liquid preparation: 

( 1 ) Salicylic Acid 20 gr., Eucalyptus Oil 5 drops, 
Soft Paraffin y 2 oz., Rose Water Ointment y 2 oz. 

( 2 ) Salicylic Acid 20 gr., Tincture of Cantharides 1 
dr., Castor-oil 20 drops, Rectified Spirit to 1 oz. 

This latter may be scented with five drops of 
either oil of bergamot, verbena or rose-geranium. 
These last two receipts are very useful for remov- 
ing the scurf which sometimes appears in the 
heads of elderly people. 

Scurf generally appears in the hair of those 
under thirty when it is due to excess of natural 
oil. If, however, it appears after this age it is due 

[99] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

to want of this oil and consequent dryness of the 
scalp. This age limit is, of course, only approxi- 
mate, and varies with individuals and families, 
climate and occupation. 

Red oxide of mercury is the last application I 
shall mention for a dry scalp. It is best used in 
the form of an ointment for lubricating the hair 
and softening the skin, as: 

Red Oxide of Mercury 5 gr., Glycerin 15 drops, 
Lard y^ oz., Olive-oil y 2 oz. 

This may be perfumed with three drops of oil 
of cinnamon and ten of bergamot-oil. 

If one prefers a somewhat thicker ointment, 
either of the following will be found to answer: 

( 1 ) Red Oxide of Mercury 5 gr., Rose Water 
Ointment 1 oz. 

( 2 ) Red Oxide of Mercury 5 gr., Spermaceti Oint- 
ment 1 oz., Essential Oil of Almonds iy 2 drops. 

For a fortnight, a piece the size of a hazel nut 
should be daily well massaged into the scalp, the 
treatment then stopped for another fortnight and 
resumed if necessary. 

BALDNESS 

From the discussion of scurf one naturally turns 
to the question of baldness, for scurf is one of the 
great causes of baldness. The greater prevalence 
of baldness in men is due to the habit of wetting 
th,eir heads every day and to the use of stiff hair 
brushes on the scalp ; as on account of their short 

[100] 



THE HAIR 

hair they cannot well use the brush without at 
the same time plowing up the scalp. 

The treatment is, first to remove any scurf or 
other cause of the misfortune, then to soften the 
horny layer of the scalp by a preparation such as 
toilet paraffin. This should be gently rubbed into 
the scalp, because there are always many hairs 
just on the point of falling, and if vigorous fridtion 
is adopted these may come out, with a result that 
the sufferer is disappointed, discouraged, and aban- 
dons the treatment. Most of the preparations at 
present in the market for increasing the growth 
of the hair consist of thin paraffin-oil. 

After the surface of the scalp has been softened 
so that the growing hairs can easily force a pas- 
sage through the hair channels, then steps must 
be taken to promote their more vigorous growth 
by increasing the blood supply of the scalp. Mas- 
sage, as described above, is the best means of 
effecting this end. 

This result can also be obtained by the use of 
certain drugs applied to the scalp, such as cantha- 
rides or Spanish fly, by vinegar, the essential prin- 
ciple of which is acetic acid, by ammonia and 
capsicum, and by any irritant stimulating oil, that 
is, by any oil which has a pungent taste when 
placed on the tongue. 

As steps to recover a good crop of hair are gen- 
erally only taken when the blood supply has been 
insufficient for years, it is easy to understand that 

[IOI] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

persevering treatment must be continued for 
months before there is any marked improvement. 
It is accordingly desirable to have the treatment 
supervised by some one familiar with the use of 
drugs, who can recognize when and why any 
preparation ceases to be beneficial, and who can 
point out what changes are advisable; for there is 
no one drug or combination of drugs that will an- 
swer in all persons and at all times. 

The following are all well-proved remedies, but 
it is better not to continue using any one of them 
for more than a month, and it is desirable to have 
two preparations, one to be used at night, the 
other in the morning, or they may be used on 
alternate days or weeks. 

These remedies should be sponged into the scalp : 

( i ) Cantharides Tincture y 2 dr., Tincture of Cin- 
chona y 2 dr., Aromatic Vinegar y 2 dr., Eau de 
Cologne 2 dr., Water to i oz. 

( 2 ) Solution of Ammonia i dr., Aromatic Spirit of 
Ammonia i dr., Orange-flower Water 2 dr., 
Rose Water to i oz. 

( 3 ) Tincture of Cantharides i dr., Vinegar i y 2 dr., 
Glycerin 1 5 drops, Spirit of Rosemary 1 *& dr., 
Rose Water to 1 oz. 

(4) Tincture of Cantharides 1 dr., Solution of Am- 
monia 1 dr., Glycerin y 2 dr., Bay Rum sufficient 
to make 1 oz. 

(5) Sir Erasmus Wilson's Hair Lotion — Strong 
Solution of Ammonia y 2 dr., Oil of Sweet Al- 
monds y 2 oz., Spirit of Rosemary 2 dr., Rose 
Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

[102] 



THE HAIR 

(6) Tincture of Cantharides i dr., Tincture of 
Quillaja i dr., Glycerin i dr., Orange-flower 
Water 1 dr., Bay Rum sufficient to make i oz. 

(7) Sir Charles Locock's Hair Lotion — Expressed 
Oil of Mace 15 drops, Olive-oil y 2 dr., Solution 
of Ammonia y 2 dr., Rose Water sufficient to 
make 1 oz. 

Both the receipts marked ( 5 ) and ( 7 ) contain 
oil, and on this account it is advantageous to use 
them in conjunction with (4) and (6), as the 
spirit in these latter might otherwise make the 
scalp too dry. 

The following are intended for alternate use: 

( 8 ) Cantharides Tincture 1 dr., Glacial Acetic Acid 
10 drops, Rosemary Spirit 5 drops, Glycerin 1 
dr., Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

( 9 ) Tincture of Cantharides 20 drops, Strong Solu- 
tion of Ammonia 40 drops, Rosemary Spirit 5 
drops, Glycerin 40 drops, Almond-oil iyi dr., 
Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

To the question, "Is baldness curable ?" I give 
the following answer: 

Thinning of the hair before it is gray is prema- 
ture and curable. Again, when the scalp can be 
easily moved over the skull, when the skin can be 
pinched up between the finger and thumb, and 
when this pinched-up skin shows the openings of 
the hair channels, having an appearance like the 
little depressions on the surface of a piece of orange- 
peel, then can the hair, with perseverance, be re- 
stored to a vigorous growth. 

[ io 3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The presence of fine, soft, downy hairs on the 
bald surface of the scalp is an infallible sign of the 
possibility of promoting a good growth of hair, 
while if the hair is growing well on certain places 
known to the specialists as "test places,' " it can 
nearly always be restored on the scalp. The most 
important of these "test places' " is on the back of 
the fingers, between the knuckles and the first joint. 

Where, however, the scalp is smooth and shiny, 
like a billiard-ball, it is impossible to restore the 
hair, but this condition is seldom found, except 
over a limited area, usually at the very top of the 
head. 

GRAY HAIR 

Grayness of the hair is a change incident to age, 
except when the decoloration is in patches, and 
sometimes slight grayness occurs during illness and 
passes off* of itself when the illness is recovered 
from. Consequently no amount of internal reme- 
dies has any effect on the color of the hair. 

To this, however, there is a very important 
exception. Sometimes the turning of the hair is 
caused by excessive dryness of its roots. This may 
be due either to deficient action of the sweat 
glands or to unusual dryness of the air, which 
causes the perspiration to evaporate before it has 
moistened the lining of the hair channels. In this 
case the evil lies entirely in the climate, and is the 
cause of the premature gray hair we see in the 

[104] 



THE HAIR 

Anglo-Indian and in others who have lived in dry, 
sub-tropical regions. 

Whether this dryness of the scalp is due to de- 
ficient action of the skin or to the climate, much 
can be done to improve the condition by supply- 
ing an artificial moisture, such as by the use of 
toilet paraffin. 

One must, however, scrupulously avoid any 
application containing spirit or alcohol, as this 
tends to make the scalp drier. 

When dealing with the question of the curabil- 
ity of grayness in men, it is most important to 
note the color of the hair at the angles of the 
mouth. This spot has the best blood supply of 
any of the hairy parts, and in addition is con- 
stantly in motion when speaking or eating; it is 
accordingly best suited for a healthy growth of 
hair. If the beard here has turned gray nothing 
but a dye will have the slightest effeft on the 
color elsewhere; but if the hair here is of the 
proper color very often the grayness elsewhere can 
be cured. It is interesting to note that the beard 
just at the angle of the chin often is the first part 
of the hair to turn gray, so that we have very 
close together the place where the hair longest 
resists the onset of old age and quickest succumbs 
to the attack of this resistless foe. 

Hair Restorers are slowly acting dyes which 
darken hair that is turning gray, but they do not 
restore it to its original color. 

h°5] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

They must be used twice a day till a suitable 
tint is attained. This can be maintained by a 
weekly application of the remedy. Care should be 
taken to rub the application well into the grow- 
ing hair next the scalp with a stiff brush; this is 
necessary to insure that the whole hair is of a 
uniform tint. 

Most hair restorers contain lead and sulphur, an 
excellent one being : 

Acetate of Lead 1 5 gr., Precipitated Sulphur 1 5 gr., 
Water 1 oz. 

Glycerin is usually added, or may, if preferred, 
be used afterward to prevent the hair looking dull. 

A very good receipt, and one which resembles 
most of the proprietary hair restorers, is : 

Acetate of Lead 10 gr., Precipitated Sulphur 10 gr., 
Glycerin 1 dr., Rose Water to 1 oz. 

Instead of the rose water, heliotrope is often 
preferred. On the continent hyposulphite of soda 
is much used. Dissolve five grains of acetate of 
lead in half an ounce of water, then add a satu- 
rated solution of hyposulphite of soda till all the 
cloudiness which first forms disappears, next ten 
drops of glycerin and five of rectified spirit are 
added, and sufficient rose water or other scent to 
make an ounce. 

All these metallic preparations become cloudy 
on keeping if exposed to the a£tion of the air and 
light. They should be kept in securely fastened 
bottles of blue, green, or dark-colored glass. 

[106] 



THE HAIR 

Artists and all who work with lead or paints 
which contain lead ought to be careful in the use 
of lead hair dyes, or ought perhaps to avoid them 
altogether, using instead the bismuth preparation 
described on page 1 1 1 . 

There are instances where the use of these hair 
restorers has brought on symptoms of lead poison- 
ing — colic and weakness of the hands, — but this 
most often is due to drinking water containing 
lead. This danger is obviously much greater to 
those who work with lead than to others. 

HAIR DYES 

All hair dyes a£t by causing minute particles of 
the coloring matter of the preparation used to be 
permanently fixed in the substance of the hair. 
There are two great classes of dyes used, those in 
which the color is attained by minute particles of 
some metal, and which are called metallic dyes, 
and those which depend on some vegetable sub- 
stance to produce the desired hue. These are called 
non-metallic or vegetable dyes. 

In all cases, no matter what preparation is used, 
the hair should be carefully washed and dried some 
hours before the dye is used. This is necessary to 
remove all traces of oil or oily matter which would 
otherwise protect the hair from the adtion of the 
dye and cause it to a£t unevenly, staining different 
hairs different depths of color. It is also advisable 
first to test the dye with a tress made from the 

[107] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

combings of the hair. This ought to be exposed 
to dire£t sunlight for about seventy hours so as 
thoroughly to test the durability of the color. 

The dyes are best applied with brushes of the 
size and shape of tooth-brushes, which can be 
rubbed into the hair near the scalp and then drawn 
right through its whole length. This is necessary to 
prevent either the scalp or the fingers being stained. 

METALLIC DYES 

Black and Brown Dyes — The most com- 
mon, and in general the most satisfa (Story, of these 
consists of solutions of nitrate of silver in varying 
strength. The strength of the solution depends 
entirely on the depth of color that is desired. 
Thus, if one wishes for black hair, the strongest 
solution mentioned below must be used, while for 
brown, the weakest will be quite sufficient. 

These metallic dyes very often contain three 
different solutions ; of these only one — the second — 
is the true coloring agent. The first of these pre- 
pares the hair for the reception of the dye, the 
second colors the hair, while the third has a 
double function, — it fixes the color and makes it 
permanent, and at the same time makes the shade 
slightly lighter. In this way they resemble a large 
number of the dyes used for cloth and dress ma- 
terials, which consist of, firstly, a " mordant/ ■ 
which prepares the stuff for the true dye, then the 
dye itself, and lastly, a fixer. 

[108] 



THE HAIR 

The first solution, the mordant, as it may be 

termed, is the same for all shades for which this 

dye can be used. It consists of: 

( i ) Pyrogallic Acid 1 5 gr., Rectified Spirit 2 dr., 
Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

After applying this, comb the hair for five 
minutes, or until all the locks are disentangled. 

The hair is now ready to receive the coloring 
solution. 

If a light brown or blond tint is required, the 
following is the best strength of solution to use: 

( 2 ) Nitrate of Silver 5 gr., Solution of Ammonia 
22 y 2 drops, Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

Brown — 

(2a) Silver Nitrate 7*^ gr., Ammonia Solution 30 
drops, Water 1 oz. 

If, however, black hair is wished for, use: 

( 2b ) Nitrate of Silver 1 5 gr., Solution of Ammonia 
1 dr., Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

For dark brown hair use ten grains of the 
nitrate of silver and thirty drops of the ammonia 
solution to the ounce of water. 

Finally, the silver is fixed, or killed, by the 
third solution, which is also used of the same 
strength for all shades: 

(3) Hyposulphite of Soda 10 gr., Water 1 oz. 
Four ounces of each of these solutions will be 

found to be quite sufficient to dye even the longest 
hair, and twelve ounces suffice for four applica- 
tions. One must be very careful to wipe off 

[109] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

immediately any of the fluids that may have 
touched the skin. The second is especially liable 
to leave stains, but these can be removed by a vig- 
orous application of the hyposulphite of soda solu- 
tion. 

All brushes and combs that are used in the dye- 
ing process should be previously washed in wash- 
ing-soda, then thoroughly rinsed in water and 
dried. It is best to dye the hair at night, provided 
it can be thoroughly washed and dried during the 
day. The next morning the coiffure may be com- 
pleted with some oily preparation and a good 
brushing. 

If the tint is too light, it is best to repeat the 
whole process ; if, on the other hand, it is too dark, 
the hyposulphite solution should be reapplied. 
In all cases one solution must have thoroughly 
dried in the hair before the second solution is 
applied. 

Deeper shades can be obtained by combining 
sodium sulphite with the pyrogallic acid in the 
first solution, and adding sulphate of copper to the 
nitrate of silver in the second. 

Thus, for the first solution we may use either 
of the following: 

( i ) Pyrogallic Acid 1 5 gr., Sodium Sulphite 5 gr., 
Rectified Spirit 2 dr., Water sufficient to make 
1 oz. 

(2) Pyrogallic Acid 10 gr., Nitric Acid 2% drops, 
Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

[no] 



THE HAIR 

And for the second, one of these : 

( i ) Nitrate of Silver 10 gr., Solution of Am- 
monia 15 drops, Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

(2) Nitrate of Silver 10 gr., Sulphate of Copper 1 
gr., Solution of Ammonia 15 drops, Water suf- 
ficient to make 1 oz. 

The only disadvantage of these is that the sul- 
phite of soda has a rather unpleasant smell, and 
the solution containing the sulphate of copper 
does not keep well. 

A good black dye is made as follows: 

Corrosive Sublimate 2 gr., Water 1 oz. 

This is rubbed into the hair and allowed to 

dry, then the following hyposulphite solution is 

used: 

Hyposulphite of Soda 1 dr., Water 1 oz. 

Another black dye consists of: 

Nitrate of Silver 25 gr., Acetate of Lead 5 gr., Rose 
Water 1 oz. 

The hair, after being thoroughly moistened 
with this, is dried in the sunlight. 

The same color can be produced by the follow- 
ing preparation of bismuth : 

Bismuth Citrate 1 oz., 2 oz. each of Rose Water 
and Distilled Water, 5 dr. of Rectified Spirit, and 
sufficient Solution of Ammonia to make the mix- 
ture clear. 

This should be applied to the hair as before 
directed, and when dry must be followed by: 
Hyposulphite of Soda \yi oz., Water 4 oz. 

[ml 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

For Light Brown and Blond Tints — Per- 
manganate of potash is used. A solution of thirty 
grains in an ounce of water gives a light brown, 
and one of twenty grains to the ounce a blond 
color. With this drug a solution of hyposulphite 
of soda of twenty grains to the ounce is re- 
quired, to be used till the desired tint is ob- 
tained, after which the hair should be then washed 
with plain water. 

The Ordinary Non-Metallic Dyes require 
to be renewed every day for a week or so, till a 
sufficiently deep tint is attained. They are not so 
permanent as the metallic ones and must be re- 
applied more frequently, that is, as soon as the 
tint shows the least sign of fading. 

To Dye the Hair Brown — Dissolve one dram 
of pyrogallic acid in two drams of rectified spirit, 
then add fifteen drops of solution of ammonia and 
make up to an ounce with water. 

To give a chestnut color, dissolve fifteen grains 
of pyrogallic acid in a dram of rectified spirit, add 
two and a half drops of nitric acid and enough 
water to make an ounce. 

Henna — Henna is the most ancient of all hair 
dyes. It has been used in the East from time im- 
memorial, not only for coloring the hair and 
beard, but also for tinting the nails and giving a 
gloss to the skin. 

There are two varieties of this drug, the Egyp- 
tian and Arabian. These differ only slightly in 

[112] 



THE HAIR 

the amount of coloring matter they contain, and 
for practical purposes are equally good. 

The dye is made from the powdered leaves. 
The powder is of a greenish-brown color, but on 
exposure to the air it assumes a reddish tint, so 
that when a pot of it has been kept for some time 
the color at the top is different from that at the 
bottom. Far from showing that it has been spoilt 
by keeping, this change of color shows that the 
specimen is a good one. 

Henna gives an auburn tint to both light and 
dark hair, in this being unlike peroxide of hydro- 
gen, which can only reduce the shade; while, 
unlike metallic dyes, it is absolutely innocuous and 
does not irritate the scalp or impair the texture of 
the hair. When used by itself it imparts tints 
from a pale golden-red to a copper-red, but if it is 
mixed either with powdered indigo leaves or indigo 
coloring matter, as is customary in the East, or 
with a solution of ammonia, as is usual in Europe, 
the tint is much deeper, in fadl almost black. 

It is advisable to attain skill by first experiment- 
ing with a few strands of undyed sheep's wool or 
some combings. Even if this is done it may be 
necessary to repeat the process two or three times 
before the desired tint is successfully reached. 

To use this dye, stew a heaped-up tablespoonful 
of the powder with a pint of water gently over a 
slow fire for half an hour, stirring occasionally, 
finally straining it. This is then brushed on the 

[»3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

hair and allowed to dry, the process being repeated 
if the tint is too light. 

The only disadvantage of henna is that the color 
cannot be reduced to hyposulphite of soda, but if 
only a little is used at a time there is no fear of 
producing too deep a tint. 

WALNUT DYE 

This is an absolutely harmless dye which gives 
a brown tint to gray hair. It is made from unripe 
walnut shells gathered at the end of summer, 
when the fruit is ready for pickling. These are 
chopped fine and pounded in a mortar, then 
stewed with water, strained, and the liquor evap- 
orated till a deep black color is obtained. This 
may be used as it is, but to keep it beyond a couple 
of months, lard or olive-oil should be added to it, 
and the mixture kept in a warm oven till no more 
steam is given off and all the color is absorbed by 
the oil. Pour it into convenient-sized jars, and 
cover while hot with parchment paper. 

If the dye is needed when no walnuts are pro- 
curable, it can be made from the chopped leaves, 
but in this case they must be stewed longer to ex- 
trad: all the coloring matter. 

The fleshy covering of the ripe nuts, which is 
thrown away when the fruit is prepared for eating, 
also furnishes the dye. 

The following are additional formulae for this 
useful preparation: 



THE HAIR 

Liquid Walnut Hair Dye — Chop fine, and 
pound in a mortar, one pound of the green out- 
side of walnuts with two ounces of alum, mix in 
a bottle or jar with four ounces of water and a 
teaspoonful of camphor, and one or two crystals 
of thymol. If preferred, four ounces of camphor, 
cinnamon, orange-flower or rose water may be 
used instead. At the end of a week press out all 
the fluid, filter through muslin and bottle for use. 

Walnut Hair-oil — The same amount of 
powdered walnuts and alum is allowed to stand 
for forty-eight hours, then heated on a water bath 
or in a moderately hot oven with a pint of olive, 
cottonseed or other oil, till no more steam comes 
off. Then press out and filter into jars for use. 

Walnut Pomade — It is perhaps best to have 
this prepared by a chemist. A pound of the crushed 
shells or leaves is mixed with two ounces of alum 
and set aside for two days. Then heat on a water 
bath and add, with constant stirring, a pint and a 
half of olive-oil and five ounces each of palm-oil 
and beeswax. Press out and filter into jars. 

Both this pomade and the oil can be best per- 
fumed by adding to the warm mixture oil of 
bergamot half a dram, oil of rose-geranium ten 
drops and oil of verbena five drops. 

BLEACHING THE HAIR 

If it is desired to turn the hair white the best 
preparation to use consists of permanganate of 

["5] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

potash and washing-soda, any excess being re- 
moved by hyposulphite of soda. 

The hair is first washed or brushed over with a 
solution of washing-soda (one dram to the ounce 
of water), then washed with warm water, to re- 
move the soda from the outside of the hair, and 
dried. Then a solution of permanganate of potash, 
half a dram to an ounce of water, is applied with 
a brush. Care must be taken of this fluid, as it is 
liable to stain the hands or skin. Finally, the hair 
is sponged with a solution of hyposulphite of soda 
(twenty grains to the ounce of water) till no 
more color is discharged. The next morning the 
hair is carefully dressed and brushed, so as to re- 
store its luster. 

Peroxide of Hydrogen — For making the 
tint of the hair lighter, peroxide of hydrogen is 
very much used. It has the great advantage of 
not staining the skin; on the contrary, it cleanses 
it, being a good antiseptic; it also makes an ex- 
ceedingly good mouth wash or gargle. 

The official strength kept by chemists is a " ten- 
volume' ' solution, but various strengths are manu- 
factured and can be diluted as required. The best 
strength to use is a "five-volume" solution made 
by diluting the ten-volume solution with an equal 
quantity of water. 

If the preparation in this strength is applied to 
dark or brown hair an auburn tint is acquired. 
By washing the hair a second time, after it has 

[116] 



THE HAIR 

been dried, a golden tint is secured. If one has 
any experience in the use of this drug, this color 
can be obtained by a single application of a ten- 
volume solution. 

CHEMICAL DYES 

Besides the metallic and vegetable dyes, many 
chemical dyes, too, are known, which are largely 
used for dyeing furs and feathers. To explain 
their method of application would be useless as 
well as irksome, as their base is a substance called 
paraphenyl-diamine. The results of their applica- 
tion are well known to the medical faculty, espe- 
cially in Paris, as their use causes inflammation of 
the face, in mild cases lasting from three to fifteen 
days, while in more severe cases it may last for 
two months or more. The treatment consists in 
the removal of all the dyed hair. 



L»7l 



Chapter V 

THE EYES, NOSE QP EARS 

THE EYES 

he Eyebrows — It is well known that the eye- 
brows show very little tendency to fall out or be- 
come thin. This is because, on account of the 
fri&ion with the towel after washing the face, 
scurf is unable to colledt on them and they are 
seldom affected by those conditions that on the 
scalp tend to produce baldness. Besides this, the 
constant movement of the parts in the play of 
facial expression does much to keep them better 
supplied with nourishing blood. 

To Stimulate the Growth of the Eye- 
brows — The growth of the eyebrows is stimu- 
lated and increased by gently rubbing them with 
warm oil or ointment. The reason for warming 
the preparation is to insure its becoming thicker 
and more solid, instead of thinner and more fluid, 
after it is applied, and so obviate any of it running 
down into the eyes. Either preparation may be 
conveniently heated by standing a small pot or jar 
of it in a basin of boiling water, or by placing it 
under the grate, or in an oven, of course covering 
the jar that no dust may get in. 

In the East sesame-oil is almost the only appli- 

["8] 



THE EYES, NOSE & EARS' 

cation used for invigorating the eyebrows, and 
here let me add that none better is known. The 
main, if not the only cause for the eyebrows be- 
coming thin, is the use of strong soap or some 
other irritant for the face, or the extension of 
some condition detrimental to the growth of the 
hair, from the scalp, where it may have been un- 
noticed. 

Meeting Eyebrows — When the eyebrows 
meet in the middle line, and consequently give a 
severe and often unpleasant expression to the face, 
their prominence is removed by decolorizing the 
center with peroxide of hydrogen, which renders 
the hairs at the root of the nose where the eye- 
brows meet less conspicuous. 

If this does not produce a sufficient effedt, the 
eyebrows are soaped over so that the hairs lie 
smoothly, and all offending hairs then gently 
rubbed off with the pointed end of a piece of 
pumice-stone. 

The Eyelids — Red eyelids are caused by ex- 
posure, especially exposure to a cold wind, as, for 
instance, when motoring, or they are due to the 
general health being below par. 

All pain and discomfort, as well as the unsightly 
appearance they produce, is removed by bathing 
them frequently with one part of boric lotion 
( fifteen grains of boric acid to the ounce of water ) 
and two parts of water as hot as can be borne. 

If the eyelids stick together in the morning, 

[ii 9 ] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

apply a small piece of ointment, about the size of 
a hempseed, to the edges of the lids by means of 
a finely pointed piece of thin cardboard, smearing 
the ointment along each lid in contact with the 
eyelashes. The preparation most frequently used 
consists of: 

Yellow Oxide of Mercury 4 gr., Soft White 
Paraffin 1 oz. 

Cold in the Eye — When one has a cold, the 
eyes feel hot and are red and inflamed. In horses 
and cattle this condition is known as pink-eye, 
and is one of the first indications of serious illness. 

After a cold the eyes may feel sore for some 
time, because the inflamed condition of the nose 
and the tear passage, which leads downward from 
the eye to the nose, prevents the tears from pass- 
ing freely down into the nose. When this occurs 
the eyes should be bathed frequently with boric 
lotion so as to promote a cure as quickly as pos- 
sible before the condition of the tear passage be- 
comes chronic, or perhaps incurable. 

Sties and Inflamed Lids — Sties are little 
boils, due to inflammation arising in the hair 
channels of the eyelashes. The great pain they 
cause is relieved by bathing the eyes every hour 
with boric lotion as hot as can be borne. In the 
intervals the eye is fomented by placing on it cot- 
ton-wool wrung out of hot lotion, and covering it 
with india-rubber tissue, gold-beater's skin or oiled 
silk, so as to retain the heat. 

[120] 




:.: ". .... . «...:•: . : 



Cora Brown Potter as Oliva in "Le Collier de la Reine." 



THE EYES, NOSE & EARS 

If the sty comes to a white head, any hair 
springing from the boil should be pulled out. 
This leaves a little hole through which the matter 
escapes and at once relieves the pain. 

If more than one sty forms on each eye at a 
time, it shows that either the infection is derived 
from the scalp or skin, or else that the general 
health is run down and below par, and that a 
blood tonic is required. In such cases an excellent 
one is: 

Arsenious Acid i-ioo gr., Calcium Sulphide % gr., 
Iron Pill 3 gr. 

One of these pills to be taken three times a 
day, half an hour after meals. 

Irritation of the eyelids produces a feeling as if 
sand or grit was in the eye. This condition is best 
relieved by putting a teaspoonful of an eye lotion 
in a blue or green eye-bath, then open the eye 
and raise the bath till the fluid comes in contadt 
with the eyeball and the inside of the lids. 

The best eye lotions are, either the boric lotion 
mentioned above, or one consisting of two grains 
of sulphate of zinc to an ounce of distilled or 
boiled water. If preferred rose or orange-flower 
water may be used instead. This may be colored 
red with five drops of compound tinfture of laven- 
der or two of solution of cochineal. 

The Eyelashes — Long sweeping eyelashes 
grow only from healthy lids; accordingly their 
luxuriance depends on the care spent on the lids 

[121] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

and face, and also on the state of the eyes them- 
selves. The eyelashes should never be cut, as it is 
erroneous to imagine that their growth is thereby 
stimulated. 

THE NOSE 

A red nose is at all times most distressing to 
the owner, both on account of its unsightly nature 
and as it is so apt to be attributed by the incon- 
siderate or unkind to tight lacing or indulgence 
in alcohol. 

There are two main causes for this condition. 

The most common is indigestion, of which it 
is often the only sign; in fad:, in most cases red 
nose is indigestion. For its relief there is no better 
remedy than the Bismuth Mixture, compounded 
after much thought and deliberation by the British 
Pharmacopoeial Conference. In addition, the di- 
rections given in the chapter on "Aids to Beauty ,! 
should be most carefully followed out, except that 
iron, arsenic and antimony should not be taken. 

The nose should be bathed every night with 
water as hot as can be borne. It is a most fatal 
error to try and hide this disfigurement by powder, 
which only sets up local inflammation and does 
an endless amount of harm. If, however, it is 
necessary to use powder for some social function, 
it should be removed at the earliest possible 
moment. 

Another, but much less frequent cause of red 

[122] 



THE EYES, NOSE ©EARS 

nose, is trouble inside the nose. In this case the 
nose should be washed out by means of a nose 
syphon or douche, with the following: 

Borax i dr., Soda Bicarbonate i dr., Soda Chloride 
i dr., White Sugar i dr. 

One teaspoonful in a tumbler of comfortably 
warm water. 

Under no consideration should the nose be 
syringed out, as the fluid may easily be forced into 
the ear and cause deafness. 

In dusty distrifts and in dry, rainless climates 
nose troubles are avoided by the regular use of 
these preparations. These will preserve the pure 
quality of the voice and prevent the nasal twang 
so characteristic of long residence in such districts. 
If, however, nothing else is available, a pinch of 
salt dissolved in a tumbler of warm water and 
sniffed up from the palm of the hand is of decided 
use. This should always be done on first feeling 
discomfort, till the recommended remedies can be 
obtained. 

To attribute redness of the nose, flushing and 
morbid blushing, to tight lacing, is to confuse 
effed: with cause. When indigestion causes redness 
of the nose, its next efFed: is to cause a disagreeable 
feeling of discomfort as if the corset were too tight. 

In spite of the fadt that indigestion and the con- 
dition of the inside of the nose are the main 
causes of red nose, the following Red Nose Oint- 
ment is used: 

[ I2 3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Sulphur 20 gr., Vermilion 8 gr., Ammoniated 
Mercury 5 gr., Soft Paraffin 1 oz. 

THE EARS 

In China and Japan is most care taken over 
the toilet of the ear. There, every lady has an 
ear scoop to remove the wax; this is provided 
with a large bead, fixed at a suitable distance 
from the end to prevent its being inserted too far 
and possibly injuring the delicate internal parts of 
the ear. 

The best way to remove the wax is to wrap a 
little cotton-wool round a wooden match, and 
clean out the ear with this every time the face is 
washed and after bathing. When the weather be- 
comes damp, or when one passes from a dry to a 
damp atmosphere, as when passing from the Red 
Sea into the Southwest Monsoon, the wax swells 
and may cause deafness. 

If, however, it has accumulated for some time, 
it may be softened by dipping a teaspoon into 
some warm water to warm it, then dry it and 
pour out a few drops, say five, of olive-oil into it. 
Then tilt the head to one side and pour the oil 
into the ear. Its return is prevented by inserting 
a little plug of cotton-wool, which will prevent 
the oil soiling the pillow, for this little toilet de- 
tail is best done the last thing at night. 

Another preparation for removing wax from 
the ear is hydrogen peroxide, diluted with an 

t I2 4] 



THE EYES, NOSE & EARS 

equal quantity of water. Next morning the wax 
is removed by syringing. When syringing the ear 
the nozzle of the syringe should be directed up- 
ward and slightly backward; upward so that the 
stream of water passes over the obstruction and 
flushes it out when returning, and backward be- 
cause this is the direction of the outer part of 
the ear passage. 

Earrings — The wearing of earrings is entirely 
a matter of taste on which any one of mature age 
can form a judgment. 

It is sometimes said that piercing the ears may 
cause local inflammation or erysipelas. This very 
seldom occurs, and is almost always due, not to 
carelessness on the part of the operator, but to 
negledt of the direftions for the care of the ear 
just given, and to negledt of the care of the scalp 
and hair. 

To those who are unfortunate enough to get 
the hole pierced in the ear torn, I would suggest 
that the wound should be closed at once, as the 
continued wearing of earrings, after it has healed, 
stretches and enlarges the ear. There is no excuse 
for delay in having a torn ear at once repaired, 
for nothing is more unsightly or uncomfortable 
than a negle&ed and deformed ear. 

Irritation and roughness of the skin of the ear 
are best relieved by the lotions and ointments 
given for corresponding conditions on the face, or 
by the following preparation, which is intended to 

[125] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

be spread on a muslin bag the size of the car, 
which is to be tied on at night. A little is also to 
be smeared on the skin round the ear passage, and 
under the folds, by means of a little piece of cot- 
ton-wool wrapped round a match-stick: 

Salicylic Acid 5 gr., Resorcin 5 gr., Ichthyol 10 
gr., Watery Wool Fat 2 dr., Soft Paraffin 2 dr., 
Zinc Oxide 2 dr., Starch 2 dr. 



[126] 



Chapter VI 

THE FACE 

POWER OF BEAUTY 

JL he hair has been described as our crown of 
beauty, but it is merely a crown — an aureole 
which sets off and heightens the true spark of 
that celestial fire which makes our faces the de- 
light and wonder of all beholders. 

It is by our faces we captivate and conquer in 
the battle of beauty ; it is to our faces ( lovely as 
they may be in themselves, but infinitely wonder- 
ful and marvelously entrancing in their ever- 
changing expression and ceaseless vivacity of feel- 
ing) that we owe our present position. 

The hair is but the frame of this picture, the 
setting of this gem ; a thing intrinsically beautiful 
in itself, but one whose use and function are to 
show off, to the best advantage, the priceless won- 
der it surrounds. 

We have, in comparison to the size of our 
heads, the smallest face of all living creatures. As 
the intellect increases, as we ascend the animal 
scale, so does the face become proportionately 
smaller. To our intellect we owe the discovery 
of fire, the art of cooking and the power of mak- 
ing weapons of offense and defense. On account 

[127] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

of these advances we need no longer strong teeth, 
either to seize our prey or to masticate our food, 
since it has been already softened and made pal- 
atable by cooking; nor do we require the keen 
sight or scent of the lower animals, which enables 
them to hunt for and gain their sustenance, even 
in the most adverse circumstances. 

But this decrease in the size, this atrophy — if I 
may use the term — of the face has not yet en- 
tirely ceased. Dentists often tell us that the wis- 
dom teeth are, in us, not well developed as a rule, 
and that they frequently never cut through the 
gums. This simply means that our jaws are slowly 
but surely getting smaller, and that there is now 
hardly room enough in them for our thirty-two 
teeth. 

But with this atrophy comes beauty. In the 
negroes, and other of the lower races, the face is 
much more developed than with us. In the baboon 
and the apes it is the enlargement of the face, out 
of proportion to the size of the head, that makes 
them a hideous, grinning caricature of ourselves, 
while it is only when we go so low that all re- 
semblance of humanity is lost in the face that we 
again admire it and think it beautiful. This is the 
reason that we like so much the face of a favorite 
horse or dog, that we admire the dauntless gran- 
deur of the lion or the cynical majesty of the 
tiger. 

To the anthropologist the study of the face is 

[i ? 8] 



THE FACE 

of absorbing interest, as it varies so much in differ- 
ent nations and climates. 

The height of the cheek-bones, the "facial 
angle," the size and shape of the nose or orbits 
are to him topics of the greatest importance ; they 
are to him the indications of gradual change or 
development, and are the points to which he turns 
when describing the difference between different 
races. We do not look so deep, however; we are 
content with the skin, while he examines the 
bones; we note the complexion and coloring of 
the eyes, while he measures the length of the nose 
or describes the contour of the jaw. 

In all races, and for all time, care and thought 
have been spent on the face, — the fancy of the 
individual or the fashion of the nation or tribe 
dictating the different customs and methods used 
to adorn and beautify it. Thus we have the rude 
markings of different-colored paints and the un- 
gainly nose and earrings of the savage, the beauti- 
ful tattooing of the South Sea Islander, the deli- 
cate and refined toilet of the Japanese, and the 
care and attention we spend on our faces, as 
examples of the ever-present desire to increase the 
charms which were given us and to strive by art 
to outdo Nature. 

In this chapter I shall, as far as lies in my 
power, assist my readers to improve their looks 
and complexions, and to make themselves, as it 
were, above and independent of Nature. 

[129] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

THE CARE OF THE FACE 

To preserve the beauty of the face we depend 
most on soap and water. 

The water should be soft ; in the country, rain- 
water can be procured, but in town it must be 
softened either by boiling or by mixing it with 
one of the softening powders. The temperature 
of the water is of considerable importance ; in or- 
dinary weather it should be used tepid. Hot water 
increases the blood supply of the parts with which 
it comes in contadt and makes the skin red and 
rough, especially if it is afterward exposed to cold 
air; it may also give a temporary blush to the 
whole face and neck which is distinctly becoming. 
Advantage may be taken of this fad: by washing 
the face in hot water immediately before going to 
a dinner or ball, when the warmth of the room or 
exercise makes the blush remain, so that the skin 
looks and feels cool, instead of hot and moist. 

Any marked difference between the tempera- 
ture of the morning tub and that of the water 
used for the face is distinctly prejudicial to the 
rosy tint of the cheeks. 

Persons with ordinary complexions should be 
careful to use only superfatted soap for the face, 
while those with moist skins, and they alone, 
ought to use glycerin, alkali soaps. 

As method is conducive to thoroughness and 
rapidity — a matter by no means trivial in the busy 
life of this hurrying century — it may be well to 

[ l 3°] 



THE FACE 

describe a systematic procedure for facial ablution. 
Having lathered the hands, pass them evenly over 
the face to distribute the soap. Next with the tips 
of the fingers gently rub the forehead, beginning 
as near the hair as possible, and working outward 
from the middle line; at the same time use the 
thumbs at the angles of the jaws. When the fore- 
head has been well fridlioned, lower the fingers 
and rub round the eyes and by the sides of the 
nose; at the same time the thumbs are raised and 
passed behind the ears. When the chin has been 
well washed, the elbows are lowered and brought 
to the middle line of the body and the cheeks 
and sides of the face rubbed up and down; next 
pass the hands from side to side over the neck 
both back and front. Finally, the forefingers 
should be inserted into, and revolved in, the hole 
of the ear, and then run them carefully round the 
fold that marks its upper margin. One should 
always wash the face, or at least wipe it with a 
damp towel, after brushing the hair, to prevent 
any dust that may have been brushed out from 
clinging to the skin. 

Those who have moist skins, or are exposed to 
dust, require a flannel or Turkey toweling wash- 
rag, which should be provided with a loop for 
hanging it to the towel-rack after it has been 
wrung out and squeezed dry. 

As an alternative to soap, as when, for instance, 
it is necessary to remove dust, and the use of soap 

[131] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

more than once a day irritates the skin, oatmeal, 
almond meal, starch or bran, as mentioned in the 
chapter on the "Care of the Skin" (page 68), 
are unsurpassed for whitening the skin; while for 
softening it they are only surpassed by milk. The 
best application for the face consists of one pound 
of bran and a quarter of a pound of starch in 
flannel, calico or butter muslin bags, a couple of 
ounces being put in each. Boiling water is poured 
over them, and when they are cool it can be 
squeezed out, or they may be used as they are, as 
wash-rags. The starch is added so that some of it 
may be left as a fine impalpable powder to whiten 
the skin. A violet perfume is imparted by adding 
one ounce of powdered orris root and ten grains 
of ionone to the quantities mentioned above. 

If the meal, while whitening the skin, makes it 
too soft, it may be toned and braced up by wiping 
it with a handkerchief dipped in spirit, such as 
Eau de Cologne, lavender water or toilet vinegar. 
A better preparation than any of these is Lait Vir- 
ginal, consisting of ten drops of tin&ure of benzoin 
to an ounce of rose water ; while Balm of Arabia, 
which is made by mixing one and a half grains of 
cochineal with an ounce of rose water, or the 
combination of these two, known as Virgin Balm of 
Arabia, are equally good. The formula of this last 
preparation is one and a half grains of cochineal 
and ten drops of tin&ure of benzoin to an ounce 
of rose water. 

[ J 32j 



THE FACE 

FACE MASSAGE 

This is so customary in all parts of the world 
that even the most skeptical cannot but acknowl- 
edge that it is conducive to health and beauty. 

It has a double effedt; first, it removes some of 
the horny layer that on the face, as elsewhere, 
forms the surface of the skin, and here, too, lines 
the relatively wide hair channels distributed so 
plentifully everywhere ; secondly, it increases mark- 
edly the blood supply to the part massaged. 

The home of massage is the East, where soap is 
too expensive and too irritating for most natives; 
there, little but oil is used, combined with the 
most gentle but continuous friftion. 

In the West, massage or toilet creams consist of 
fine powders mixed with mucilage to make them 
stick to the surface of the skin, which can thus be 
detached by the slightest pressure without causing 
any sensation of burning or soreness, or leaving 
any abrasion. 

Such a Massage Cream consists of: 

Light Carbonate of Magnesia 10 gr., Zinc Oxide 
15 gr.. Glycerin 1 dr., Mucilage of Tragacanth 
5 dr., Rose Water sufficient to make 1 oz. 

One of the pleasantest perfumes for these mas- 
sage creams is made by adding two and a half 
drops each of oil of lavender and of oil of rose- 
geranium to each ounce. 

This preparation is the best when the face is 
only occasionally massaged, or when the horny 

l>33] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

layer has become thick, as during cold weather, 

or after an illness. 

A Thin Massage Cream for more frequent use is : 

Tragacanth 15 gr., Glycerin 2 dr., Elder- or Orange- 
flower Water 1 oz. 

This is the best preparation for massaging the 
neck and shoulders, as here the upper layers of the 
skin are less adherent than on the face, and it al- 
lows firmer pressure being used, which develops the 
muscles and deeper structures of the parts, so pro- 
ducing a more rounded contour. 

As sold, these creams are generally colored with 
rosanilin, or, as it is also called, fuchsin; this sub- 
stance is the coloring matter of red ink, a penny 
bottle of which is sufficient to tint a gallon of 
cream. Another favorite color is methyl violet, 
which is the basis of violet ink; while a rich red 
color is formed by adding three drops of an one- 
in-a-thousand solution of eosin to the ounce of 
cream. 

Whatever preparation is used, it should be rubbed 
gently into the skin, taking care to go parallel to 
any lines or wrinkles that may be present. For 
the face the finger-tips alone are used, while when 
massaging other parts firmer pressure is obtained 
by working with the palm of the hand. 

But this is not the only form of massage known. 
For massaging the limbs — and here I may add 
that this is the best restorative after an illness or 
when prostrated by fatigue; in fadl, daily massage 

[ J 34] 



THE FACE 

is the most efficient remedy for nervous weakness 
or breakdown — an ointment is used as the basis. 

It is, however, necessary to have an experienced 
nurse or maid for this form of massage — one who 
can, at will, exercise anything from gentle fridtion 
to firm pressure on the flesh. 

A good Massage Ointment is : 

Watery Wool Fat 2 dr., Lard 1 dr., Glycerin 1 dr., 
Rose Water 3 dr. 

This preparation may also be used for habitual 
grooming or massage of the face. 

The simplest face massage consists in covering 
the face with a soap preparation, as shaving soap, 
steam spraying it and giving a wipe over. 

Nurses, when massaging the joints, use some 
powder, such as zinc oxide, carbonate of magnesia 
or talc, so that the hand secures a firm grip of the 
skin, which is pressed and kneaded over the joint. 

Enameling the face and neck is impossible; it 
never has and never can be done. The reason that 
certain ladies, not excepting the most illustrious in 
the land, are stated to have been enameled, is be- 
cause every woman, from the highest to the 
lowest, is exposed to the malevolent tongue of 
malice, slander and scandal. The slender base on 
which these rumors rest is the mere fad: that in 
some books receipts have appeared under the head- 
ings, "Massage Enamel" and "Liquid Enamel/* 
and that in some cases the preparations contained 
bismuth salts and other metallic preparations. All 

[135] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

these drugs must be more than commercially pure, 
they must be chemically pure, otherwise they are 
cosmetically imperfedt and not sufficiently fine for 
toilet purposes. The impure salts, especially where 
gas is the usual source of light, change color on 
exposure to the air. Nowadays, when the manu- 
facturers make specially pure bismuth and zinc 
preparations for cosmetic purposes, no chemist who 
knows his business or regards his reputation will 
sell any but those carefully refined and selected for 
toilet purposes. 

Massage Enamel consists of: 

Bismuth Oxychloride i oz., French Chalk y 2 oz., 
Putty Powder i dr., Soft Paraffin to make 3 oz. 

While Liquid Enamel is as follows : 

Bismuth Oxychloride 1 oz., French Chalk yi oz., 
Putty Powder 1 dr., Water to make 1 5 oz. 

This last preparation would be more accurately 
described as a liquid face powder. French chalk 
is a silicate of magnesium, of which talc is another 
form. In France it is called Venetian talc. Putty 
powder is oxide of tin — a metal which from its 
firmness is specially useful for the nails. 

As, after massage, the younger and softer parts of 
the horny layer are left exposed, they are hardened 
by spraying with a scented alcohol, the favorites 
being bay rum or toilet vinegar, or by patting the 
face with a cloth dipped in Massage Lotion, such as : 

Menthol 1 gr., Glycerin 20 drops, Bay Rum 1 dr., 
Water to make 1 oz. 

[136] 



THE FACE 

If preferred, the surface of the skin may be 
covered with cold cream, over which warm towels 
are placed. 

Whichever method is used, it is followed by 
brushing the skin over with a lotion, or by gently 
smearing it with a firmer ointment or cream, 
which is usually sprinkled over with a minute 
quantity of powder; some, however, mix the 
lotion, cream and powder together before apply- 
ing them. 

Useful lotions to keep clear the brilliant com- 
plexion secured by massage are: 

( i ) Solution of Ammonia 5 drops, Borax 20 gr., 
Bay Rum 40 drops, Glycerin 20 drops, Water to 
make 1 oz. 

( 2 ) Borax 10 gr., Sulphite of Soda 10 gr., Glycerin 
20 drops, Rose Water to make 1 oz. 

Benzoin and Almond Lotion, which is specially 
suited for warm weather, is made by mixing 3 
drams of almond meal, or of pounded, blanched 
almonds, with 1 dram of soft soap ( this is to give 
the lotion an even consistency) and 8 ounces of 
rose water. Strain and add 4 drams of tin&ure of 
benzoin. In very hot weather this may be rendered 
more cooling by the addition of a dram of balsam 
of storax dissolved in an ounce of rectified spirit. 

A very good After Massage Ointment is : 

Watery Wool Fat 2 dr., Soft White Paraffin 6 dr., 
Glycerin 1 5 drops, Oil of Roses 4 drops. 

A piece the size of a hazel nut is to be rubbed 

1*37 J 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

over the face and neck, all excess being removed 
with a fine linen napkin. 

White Liquid Powder is made by adding ij£ 
drams of oxide of zinc to an ounce of water. To 
produce a flesh-colored tint add i grain of carmine 
to 8 ounces of the white powder, or this color may 
be obtained by using the red tint mentioned when 
describing the massage cream. Where good cala- 
mine, native carbonate of zinc, is procurable, it 
makes the best flesh-colored lotion; for example: 

Zinc Oxide i dr., Calamine i dr., Glycerin y 2 dr., 
Water i oz. 

Rachelle and brunette tints are formed by add- 
ing burnt umber or sienna. 

Any of these lotions may be scented by using 
rose water instead of plain water ; or by dissolving 
the following combinations in a few drops of 
spirit, and mixing them in a mortar with the dry 
powder : 

( i ) Oil of Bergamot 2 y 2 drops, Oil of Verbena 2 *4 

drops, Attar of Roses 2 y 2 drops. 
( 1 ) Oil of Bergamot 2 drops, Oil of Orange-flower 

1 drop, Essential Oil of Almonds 1 drop, Attar of 

Roses 2 drops. 

These quantities are sufficient to scent eight ounces 
of lotion. 

THEATRICAL MAKE-UP 

I am often asked why adtors and a&resses pre- 
serve their clearness of complexion better than 
most people. The reason is to be found in the free 

[138] 



THE FACE 

use of oil and fatty substances employed in mak- 
ing up. It may perhaps interest some of my read- 
ers to know how this is done. 

A theatrical make-up consists of applying a coat 
of oil or fat to the face, neck and hands. The best 
preparation is cold cream — that is a mixture of 
an oil and water. I have for many years had this 
made at home, after the following receipt: 

Make-up Cream — Melt about half an ounce 
of white wax in a saucepan, then add slowly half 
a pint of olive-oil, stirring all the while ; next stir 
in about an ounce of rose water. Then remove 
the saucepan from the fire, but continue stirring 
until the cream is cold. The only point in which 
a mistake is possible is in leaving off stirring be- 
fore the cream is cold and semi-solid. 

If it is too thick in winter, the cream can easily 
be remelted and a little more oil added; while in 
summer it may be necessary to increase the amount 
of wax. 

Olive-oil is, I consider, better than almond-oil, 
though the latter gives a whiter cream, because the 
olive-oil can hold more water, and is therefore 
more cooling. 

Another good base for make-up is rendered lard, 
made by pouring boiling water on lard in a basin. 
The water goes to the bottom and the lard re- 
mains on the top mingled with as much water as 
it can hold. It is then skimmed off, put in a cloth 
and any excess of water squeezed out. It is usually 

[ I 39] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

scented with oil of verbena, though attar of roses 
is pleasanter, but more expensive. 

There are many theater creams on the market, 
which are used for the foundation of making up, 
but as the amount of water they contain is small, 
they are less cooling than the home-made ones; 
however, as they are often colored, they serve both 
as a base and a paint, the one application thus tak- 
ing the place of two. 

I personally prefer the cream very soft and fluid, 
but as this is inconvenient for traveling, I always 
take a thicker preparation with me when on tour. 

The cream is lightly spread on the skin with 
the finger, any excess being removed by means of 
a fine cloth. On this the powders and grease paints 
are spread, so that they do not come into adtual 
contadt with the skin. The French term for these 
is fard or nard y from which the word lard is de- 
rived, as this substance was very largely used in 
mixing these paints. The term fard is, however, 
sometimes limited to powders and dry pigments. 

The grease paints now in use consist of anilin 
dyes mixed with a greasy base, which lies on or 
unites with the face cream. They are made by but 
few manufacturers, because the amount of color 
used is so small that much skill and experience is 
required to hit off exaftly the right tint; besides 
this, many of them have to be kept for a considera- 
ble time before they attain the right consistency. 

In applying the paints, the neck and face, with 

[140] 



THE FACE 

the exception of the eyes, are lightly gone over 
with a suitable tint, of course rouging up the 
cheeks more than any other part. Next, the eye- 
brows are penciled and the lids and flesh round 
the eyes darkened ; this is essential to properly throw 
up the eyes. 

This darkening of the eyes is the oldest form of 
face painting, and one that is still much used in 
the East. The paint itself is known as kohl or 
kohal — the word being derived from the Hebrew 
kohol. The term kohl is sometimes limited in India 
to the black sulphide of antimony used for darken- 
ing the eyes. It is this substance that gives, when 
burnt, the red color to Bengal light and other fire- 
works. Often the word is used to designate any 
toilet paint or powder. 

In the East the black is applied not only to the 
outside of the eyelids, but also to their edges by 
means of a little implement shaped like a bodkin. 
This is dipped into the powder and drawn between 
the closed lids. Even in the darkened rooms of 
India this may cause severe inflammation, so paint 
should be only applied to the edges of the lids by 
those who have had long experience in making up. 

The touching up required to produce the effect 
of various ages, or to bring out the dominant ex- 
pression of the different characters, can only be 
learnt by seeing it done and by carefully noting 
how a skilled artist gains his end by minute, and 
often apparently meaningless, strokes of the brush. 

[Hi] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The details of the art cannot adequately be de- 
scribed by means of words. 

The make-up is easily removed by a fresh ap- 
plication of cold cream, and then wiping the face 
with a soft towel, though some actors prefer to 
wash it off with warm water. In any case the 
small, almost imperceptible amount that remains 
on the face is sufficient to preserve the suppleness 
and softness of the skin. There are many perfumed 
oils on the market specially made to soften the 
grease paints, so that they can be easily removed; 
I much prefer a rather soft cold cream to any of 
them. It is advisable before leaving the theater to 
dust a little powder on the face to prevent it ap- 
pearing too shiny after the greasy preparations used. 

FACE POWDERS 

Face powders are employed for two distinct pur- 
poses: in the theatrical make-up they are used to 
prevent the skin from appearing too moist or shiny, 
and also to heighten and show up the other tints 
used, and generally to absorb moisture from the 
skin, to keep it cool and to prevent any injury 
from heat. 

As on the stage they are only applied for a 
couple of hours a day, their composition is different 
from those constantly employed. 

The excellence of a powder depends on the 
purity, fineness of division and the uniform blend- 
ing of the ingredients of which it is made; it 

1*4*] 



THE FACE 

should also harmonize with the other preparations 
used on the face. 

The best theatrical powders are made of kaolin, 
or Fuller's earth, both of which contain alumin- 
ium; of talc, French chalk or Venetian talc, as 
it is variously called — this is a magnesium prep- 
aration ; or of chalk, which is a lime preparation. 
All these are natural products, formed in Nature's 
laboratory, and must be reduced to an extremely 
fine powder by long-continued grinding. 

Zinc preparations, with the exception of cala- 
mine, and all the compounds of bismuth used, are 
made by chemical manufacturers, and generally 
produced in a state of very fine powder. They 
have been in use a little more than a hundred 
years, bismuth being inseparably connected with 
the name of Ninon, whose bloom may have been 
in part, though probably only to a very small de- 
gree, due to it. It is more likely to have been the 
opposite — her beauty was so wonderful that it was 
by envy attributed to this drug ; be that as it may, 
no one who has any regard for the history of cos- 
metics would apply the term "bloom of Ninon' ' 
to any powder that does not contain bismuth. 

Apart from the theatrical use, powders protect 
the face after washing, massage or shaving, espe- 
cially when the air is dry, when the preparations 
just mentioned are best. In moist, hot weather, 
they dry and cool the face. For this purpose starch 
is used — that made from rice is the finest grained 

['43] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

and the best. An easy way to use this powder is 
to rub the face gently with Japanese rice-paper. 
As the finely divided starch is here incorporated 
with absorbent paper, the skin is at once dried of 
any moisture that may have been present and 
sprinkled with the powder. 

Face powders are blends of rice or other starch 
and some mineral or metallic preparations. Flour 
is often used because it can always be procured dry 
and finely divided. 

The following are the bases that are in greatest 
vogue : 

( i ) Talc 2 parts, Kaolin i part. 

( 2 ) Talc 2 parts, Starch 2 parts, Zinc Oxide i part. 

(3) Chalk 12 parts, Starch 4 parts, Talc 1 part, 
Zinc Oxide 1 part. 

(4) Bismuth Oxychloride 10 parts, Talc 5 parts, 
Starch 1 part. 

"Poudre de Riz," "Violet Powder/' etc., are fancy 
names for scented starch. It will be noticed that 
no perfume has been given; this is because the 
scent of the powder should blend and harmonize 
with those used for other purposes. 

It is difficult to prepare these powders oneself, 
as they require laborious mixing and must be re- 
peatedly passed through a fine sieve. 

These powders can be made into a paste with 
mucilage of gum or starch; in the tropics two 
grains of salicylic acid, or fifteen grains of boric 
acid, must be added to each ounce to preserve 

[H4] 



THE FACE 

them. Many prefer these pastes for traveling, as a 
powder may easily be spilt, or "get adrift,'* among 
the luggage. They may be easily extemporized 
by mixing wheat flour with glycerin so as to make 
a stiff paste; this can be thinned with water im- 
mediately before use. 

Alkalis, such as precipitated chalk or light car- 
bonate of magnesia, may irritate a dry or sensitive 
skin, so should be omitted when either of these 
conditions is present. They have, however, the ad- 
vantage of producing the effedt of massage. 

The following are some of the best liquid pow- 
ders: 

Pearl White — 

Bismuth Subcarbonate i y 2 oz., Water to make 6 
oz. 

Blanc de Perle ou de Paris — 

Zinc Ozide 3 dr., Bismuth Oxychloride 3 dr., Gly- 
cerin 2 dr., Water to make 6 oz. 

FACE LOTIONS AND CREAMS 

Face creams are liquid superfatted soaps, and 
often replace ordinary soap. This accounts for the 
statements of many who say they never use soap 
for the face. Indeed, it is a question if it would 
be better not to use creams instead of soap for the 
face; certainly none but superfatted soaps should 
be used for this purpose. 

The following names are applied to these prep- 
arations : milk of roses, rose water and glycerin, 

[145] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

cucumber cream, milk of cucumber, cucumber 
and glycerin, honey and almond cream. 

They are made by dissolving about fifteen grains 
of shredded soap in an ounce of warm water on a 
water-bath, then adding about half a dram of oint- 
ment and scent if this is required. 

A water-bath is conveniently extemporized by 
placing the cup or bowl in which the cream is 
mixed in a saucepan of boiling water. 

Their great merit depends on the amount of 
free or uncombined fat they contain, and on the 
ground of correct nomenclature the term "milk" 
or " cream " should be restricted to oleaginous prep- 
arations which contain excess of fat. 

Some creams are lotions with insoluble ingre- 
dients to ad: as liquid powders. They are applied 
with a piece of linen, taking care to avoid the eye- 
brows, and when dry are gently dusted over. 

Milk of roses is made with cold cream instead 
of ointment. Cold cream is an " official" prepa- 
ration, its technical name in the Pharmacopoeia 
being rose-water ointment. It may be further 
scented and improved by adding a drop of oil of 
rose and a grain of benzoic acid dissolved in ten 
drops of spirit to each ounce. 

Cream of jasmine is made by adding fifteen 
grains of jasmine pomade to the ounce of the soap 
solution. 

Cream of violets, halt d'Iris, is made from vio- 
let pomade, or from cold cream scented with the 

[i 4 6] 



THE FACE 

ionone blend used for violet bath powder, or the 
one used for violet powders. 

A Non-Greasy Cream — Corn Flour \y 2 
drams, Water i o ounces, Glycerin 5 drams. With 
a little water make the flour into a paste; slowly 
stir in the rest. Bring to the boil ; when cool add 
the glycerin. 

Cucumber Preparations — Cucumber is nat- 
urally in great request on account of its proverbial 
coolness. The lotion is made by squeezing the juice 
from the cucumbers, bringing it to a boil to coagu- 
late the solid part, which is then strained off. To 
each ounce of this fluid add ten drops of tinfture 
of benzoin. 

From this, glycerin and cucumber lotion is made 
by adding twenty drops of glycerin to the ounce. 
By adding equal parts of elder-flower water to the 
cucumber lotion we get cucumber and elder-flower 
lotion. 

Excellent cucumber cream can be made by add- 
ing fifteen grains of curd soap to each ounce of 
cucumber lotion. However, as usually sold, this 
preparation is made from cucumber pomade, the of- 
ficial French receipt for which is: Cucumber juice 
1,200 parts, lard 1,000, veal suet 600, balsam of 
tolu dissolved in spirit, 2 parts, rose water 10. 
This, however, requires more scent, which may be 
remedied by adding a drop of oil of rose-geranium ; 
or, better, a drop of oil of rose-geranium and one 
of oil of rose to each ounce. It is, however, pref- 

[H7] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

erable to add some of the scent generally used 
in the toilet. From this, glycerin and cucumber is 
made by mixing one dram of glycerin and two 
drams of cucumber pomade with one ounce of 
water. 

Another way of making cucumber ointment is 
to soak three ounces of chopped and pounded 
cucumber in an ounce of spirit, allow this to 
stand for at least a day, squeeze out the spirit 
and then add 125 parts of lard, 85 of spermaceti, 
eight of white wax to eight of the spirit of cu- 
cumber. 

From these ointments the cream can be made 
as previously directed. 

The following preparation, consisting of — 

Tragacanth 2 dr., Glycerin 3 oz., Rose Water to 6 
oz., 

is sometimes described as a face cream. It is, how- 
ever, not a cream, but a massage preparation, and 
if used as a cream will dry the skin and make it 
painful. 

It is interesting to notice the international cour- 
tesy with which different toilet preparations are 
treated; thus, in England, Eau de Cologne is very 
much in vogue, while on the continent "cold 
cream" is equally popular. 

It seems to me personally that in England these 
toilet preparations are better made, while in other 
countries, especially in France, they are better 
used. 

[148] 



THE FACE 

PROTECTION FROM HEAT 
AND COLD 

Heat, for two reasons, has the effe6t of softening 
the skin, first because it increases the blood supply 
to the exposed part, as is felt when sitting near the 
fire ; and, secondly, because the excess of moisture 
due to stimulation of the sweat pores causes a 
ready removal of the horny layer. 

In the tropics the skin of the whole body is 
loaded with blood — one of the causes of prickly 
heat, — so that relatively less finds its way to the 
face, which acquires the pallor characteristic of 
residence in hot climates. This pallor is heightened 
by the thinning of the blood. 

After exposure to heat this softening of the skin 
may be prevented or removed by the use of one 
of the hardening lotions applied after massage ( i 
and 2, p. 137) or by one containing astringent 
drugs such as hamamelis (witch-hazel), alum and 
the zinc preparations. 

These may be made up as follows: 

Witch-hazel Lotion — 
Hamamelis Water 1 dr., Rose Water 1 oz. 

Benzoin lotion will be found to be more astrin- 
gent on account of the gum and lime it contains. 
Its formula is : 

Benzoin Lotion — 

Tincture of Benzoin 1 5 drops, Mucilage of Acacia 
15 drops, Lime Water to make 1 oz. 

The following are slightly stronger: 

[*49] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Benzoin and Hazel Lotion — 

Tincture of Benzoin 15 drops, Hamamelis Water 
15 drops, Orange-flower Water 1 oz. 

Benzoin and Alum Lotion — 

Tincture of Benzoin 10 drops, Alum 10 gr., Rose 
Water 1 oz. 

Three or four days after exposure to the sun 
twenty drops of glycerin should be added to each 
ounce of the lotion. 

If there is any peeling of the skin or roughness 
of the face, it is advisable to use either of the fol- 
lowing lotions: 

Benzoin and Boric Lotion — 

Boric Acid 2 gr., Tincture of Benzoin 15 drops, 
Glycerin 20 drops, Water 1 oz. 

Zinc and Witch-hazel Cream — 

Tincture of Benzoin y 2 dr., Fluid Extract of Hama- 
melis 1 dr., Zinc Oxide 20 gr., Glycerin of Boric 
Acid 1 dr., Rose Water to 1 oz. 

To be applied with a piece of linen, and when 
dry to be gently dusted over. At first, till the skin 
becomes accustomed to these lotions, they should 
be diluted with water. 

The last is designated and often sold under the 
name of cream, because the zinc oxide gives a 
white appearance. 

To prevent sunburn, the standard preparation 
consists of five drops of glycerin to an ounce of 
water, perfumed as desired; this is commonly 
known as glycerin and rose water. It ought to be 

I T 5°] 



THE FACE 

dabbed on with a soft cloth and gently wiped off 
in about five minutes' time. 

After bathing, wash the face in soft water and 
then apply the following: 

Flower Water Lotion — 

Glycerin 4 dr., Lavender Water 2 dr., Rose Water 
3 dr., Elder-flower Water to make 6 oz., 

which should be wiped off before again going out- 
of-doors. If any ointment or cream remains on 
the face during the time it is exposed to heat, it 
may cause burning so severe as even to result in 
blistering. 

Immediately after exposure to heat the best prep- 
aration for the face is cold cream. When, how- 
ever, any redness or swelling is present a paste must 
be used, such as cream made into a paste with 
wheat flower. 

In some parts of the country an excellent but 
most unsightly remedy for sunburn is made from 
soot. Peat soot, which is the best for this purpose, 
is made into a paste with flour and water and spread 
on the face, which must be covered with a cloth 
with holes for the eyes, nose and mouth. At the 
same time it is advisable to take a dose of some 
effervescing saline. 

Among rowing men, when the hands, arms and 
face are scorched by the sun, a favorite remedy is 
to cover them thickly with cold cream. They 
generally take a dose of the tinclure of the per- 
chloride of iron at the same time. However, here 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

one dram of the dialyzed iron mixture mentioned 
in the chapter "Aids to Beauty " (page 32), 
will be found to answer the purpose better. 

If the smarting and itching is very severe the 
following lotion should be used till it has subsided, 
when cold cream or some paste may be used: 

Ammonium Chloride 10 gr., Cocaine Hydrochloride 
2 gr., Glycerin 30 drops, Rectified Spirit 2 dr., 
Water to make 1 oz. 

Cold, especially exposure to a cold wind, as when 
motoring, dries up the horny layer of the skin. 
This can be prevented by the use of a moderately 
thick ointment, such as : 

Wool Fat ( without water ) 5 dr., Olive-oil 1 y 2 dr., 
Rose Water 1 y 2 dr. 

A piece the size of a haricot-bean to be smeared 
over the parts liable to exposure. 

As motoring, even on a moderately warm day, 

* has the same effed: as passing from the warmth of 

spring to the cold of winter, massage with traga- 

canth and glycerin (Massage Creams, p. 133) is 

beneficial on returning from the ride. 

It is advisable to avoid applying water, especially 
warm water, to the face for at least an hour before 
exposure to wind or cold. 

FACIAL COSMETICS 

How to preserve the delicate soft texture of the 
skin, and to restore it when impaired from illness, 
exposure or any other cause, is a question of para- 

[152] 



THE FACE 

mount importance to us all, and is the one on 
which I wish to speak in this se&ion. 

The evening toilet should be made with water so 
warm that the skin at once experiences a pleasant 
glow. It is unnecessary to use soap, however ; if there 
has been exposure to dust a cream may be used. 

For this purpose these two soap lotions will be 
found to be second to none: 

Mix half an ounce of almond-oil with five 
drams of almond shaving-soap, melted in a water- 
bath, adding the oil drop by drop, then add slowly 
and with constant stirring two ounces of water. 

Next add in a separate vessel ten drams of gly- 
cerin to eight ounces of water and mix the two 
liquids. 

Apply this lotion with a piece of soft linen, 
butter muslin or any similar soft fabric. 

The second is somewhat thicker, and made as 
follows : 

Dissolve half an ounce of almond or other su- 
perfatted soap in a quarter of a pint of boiling 
water. Mix in a warm mortar an ounce of gly- 
cerin and four ounces of watery wool fat, then add 
slowly the soap and water solution. If the soap is 
not sufficiently scented add ten drops of oil of 
orange flower and five of oil of rose. If preferred, 
the favorite soap cream may be used. 

After the face, neck and shoulders have been all 
gone over, dry them very gently and apply a little 
cold cream. 

[153] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The first thing in the morning, even before the 
bath, remove any trace of cream with a soft cloth. 
After the toilet has been completed the application 
best suited to the state of the face should be used. 

If the skin is moist or shiny, or liable to be- 
come so during the day, lotions containing zinc 
oxide or calamine should be dabbed on and allowed 
to remain on the face for half or one hour. If 
necessary they may be reapplied during the day: 

Benzoin and Zinc Lotion — 

Tincture of Benzoin 5 drops, Zinc Oxide % dr., 
Glycerin 1 y 2 dr., Lime Water to 1 oz. 

Or the following, which is slightly thicker and 

leaves a flesh-tinted powder: 

Zinc Lotion — 

Zinc Oxide 2 dr., Glycerin 2 dr., Rose Water 2 dr., 
Orange-flower Water 1 dr., Elder-flower Water 
1 dr., Carmine y 2 to 1 gr. 

The amount of carmine depends entirely on the 
natural tint of the skin. 

If this causes any smarting, on account of the large 
amount of glycerin it contains, the lotion should 
be mixed in a saucer with a little previously boiled 
water. This should always be done in cold weather. 

When the skin feels at all irritable during the 
course of the day a sedative lotion is required, the 
best being: 

Calamine Sedative Lotion — 

Resorcin 3 gr., Zinc Oxide 20 gr., Calamine 1 dr., 
Glycerin 1 dr., Rose Water to 1 oz. 

[154] 




Cora Brown Potter as Rosalind. 



THE FACE 

If it is necessary to improve the condition of 
the skin as quickly as possible, the face should be 
covered with linen cloths dampened with one of 
the lotions diluted with four times its bulk of cold 
water. They should be changed as soon as they 
become dry or warm. 

If the skin is dry, red or scaly, even when very 
fine bran-like scales only appear on rubbing, a thin 
"healing" ointment, or some cream that does not 
contain soap, ought to be used, as: 

Lanolin Healing Cream — 

Carbolic Acid i drops, Boric Acid 10 gr., Zinc Ox- 
ide 10 gr., Watery Wool Fat lyi dr., Soft White 
Paraffin to i oz. 

This may be scented with five drops of oil of 
rose-geranium. To be wiped over the skin and all 
excess removed. 

The best healing ointment to use on any unusu- 
ally red spot, and one which is unequaled for pre- 
venting a scar being left after a burn, scald or cut, is : 

Aluminium Ointment — 

Solution of Aluminium Acetate 2 dr., Boric Acid 5 
gr., Ichthyol 7^ gr., Balsam of Peru 10 drops, 
Soft White Paraffin 1 dr., Waterless Wool Fat 1 
oz., or sufficient to make an ointment that can be 
spread. 

For the face it is beneficial to use the Lanolin 
Healing Cream to all parts except where the red- 
ness is most marked, and there to gently apply the 
Aluminium Ointment. 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

If, after a week or so, these are found not to be 
sufficiently strong, or if at any time there ceases to 
be an improvement, the following sulphur ointment 
should be used: 

Sulphur i dr., Glycerin i dr., Cold Cream i oz. 

The brown of sunburn may be removed by the 
following lotions, which restore the skin to its 
natural color: 

(i) Dilute Hydrochloric Acid 2% drops, Citric 
Acid 15 drops, Glycerin 1 dr., Water to 1 oz. 

(2) Salicylic Acid 5 gr., Borax 10 gr., Water 1 oz. 

(3) Dilute Nitric Acid 1% drops, Reclined Spirit 
10 drops, Peroxide of Hydrogen 10 drops, Gly- 
cerin 20 drops, Water 1 oz. 

For the wrinkled condition left after sunburn, 
illness or late hours, astringents alone will be found 
to be of use, as : 

( 1 ) Alum 1 dr., Tannin 1 dr., Glycerite of Starch 
1 oz. 

(2) Zinc Phenolsulphonate 10 gr., Glycerin 20 
drops, Rose Water 1 oz. 

COMPLEXION IMPROVERS 

Most of the preparations sold under this or 
similar names contain corrosive sublimate, per- 
chloride of mercury. This powerful drug must be 
used with caution, as it produces marked alteration 
in, and hardening of, the skin. On account of its 
strong germicidal properties it has long been used 
by surgeons for cleansing their hands for opera- 
tions, but too often has its aftion been so severe as 

[156] 



THE FACE 

to cause the hands to become very rough and the 
skin so cracked and painful as even to necessitate 
them giving up work for weeks. 

No preparations containing mercury should be 
allowed to come into contadt with any rings or 
other ornaments, as it corrodes the metal and 
loosens the setting of the stones. 

It often happens that their use for toilet pur- 
poses is profitable to the seller, because, their nature 
being unknown to the buyer, one or more other 
preparations must be purchased from the same 
source to remove the ill effects of the first. 

We can, fortunately, minimize or entirely re- 
move the undesirable aftion of this drug by add- 
ing a little yolk of egg to the lotion, as : 

( i ) Corrosive Sublimate i gr., Camphor 2 gr., Zinc 
Sulphate 5 gr., Lead Acetate 5 gr., Rectified 
Spirit 30 drops, Yolk of Egg 1 dr., Rose Water 
to 1 oz. 

( 2 ) Solution of Perchloride of Mercury x / 2 oz., Am- 
monium Chloride 5 gr., Yolk of Egg 1 dr., Rose 
Water to 1 oz. 

The next receipt, containing very little mercury, 
is quite safe: 

Perchloride of Mercury 1-16 gr., Ammonium 
Chloride % gr., Eau de Cologne y 2 dr., Emulsion 
of Almonds 1 oz. 

The next preparations warrant to improve the 
complexion and preserve the smoothness of the skin : 

Perchloride of Mercury y 2 gr., Subchloride of Bis- 
muth 40 gr., Cold Cream to 1 oz. 

[*S7l 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

To be applied at bedtime, while in the morning 
the following lotion should be used: 

Perchloride of Mercury y$ gr., Zinc Oxide 10 gr., 
Almond Emulsion i oz. 

A lotion that was largely used in Germany till 
the authorities prohibited its sale was: 

Corrosive Sublimate i gr., Tincture of Benzoin 7*^ 
drops, Water to 1 oz. 

This was recommended to be used night and 
morning. 

It is fortunate that both legal ena&ments and 
common sense prevent chemists selling this or any 
other poison, save to those whom they know per- 
sonally, and even then they must always label it 
"Poison." 

Buttermilk which has turned slightly sour has 
long been used as a safe and efficient face wash. 
Its virtue consists in the la£tic acid it contains. 
However, it is much more convenient to make it 
up in a lotion of definite strength, as : 

Lactic Acid 2 drops, Glycerin y 2 dr., Tincture of 
Benzoin 10 drops, Rose Water to 1 oz. 

This receipt is intermediate in strength between 
the preparations in vogue in the British Isles and 
those used on the continent, which are stronger. 

Freckles — Freckles are of two kinds: the first 
are due to discoloration of the very surface of the 
skin, and are benefited by the preparations for sun- 
burn (pp. 150 and 156). The second are deeper 
and more permanent. They can only be removed 

[158] 



THE FACE 

by peroxide of hydrogen, in a solution three times 
as strong as that used for bleaching the hair. As 
in this strength it is explosive, it should never be 
used except under the guidance and express direc- 
tions of a medical adviser. 

Moles, Portwine and Mothers' Marks are structural 
defeats of the skin, and fall within the province of 
the surgeon, who alone can decide what treatment 
is appropriate for them, and who can remove them 
with the least injury to the texture of the skin. 

DEPILATORIES 

In the East the method of removing superfluous 
hairs consists in gentle but continuous fridtion with 
pumice-stone. This method requires much patience, 
experience and a light touch to produce a satis- 
factory result. The addition of a lather of soap, 
such as that used in shaving, will shorten this proc- 
ess considerably, and also save the skin from injury. 

In most parts of the world barium sulphide is 
the drug most used for removing hairs, though 
often the cheaper sulphide of lime is sold for the 
purpose. 

A favorite combination is equal parts of barium 
sulphide, starch and zinc oxide made into a cream 
with water. This is spread on the part or painted 
on with a brush, and should remain on from five 
to ten minutes, till the skin tingles or smarts. 
Then remove it with a blunt instrument such as a 
paper knife. 

[159] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

If this is found too strong, the amount of the 
barium sulphide may be reduced. It is well first 
to protect the neighboring skin which is not 
covered by hair with some soft paraffin or any sim- 
ple ointment, and then to apply the cream. 

ACNE OR BLACKHEADS 

On the face the hair channels, which are also 
called hair-follicles, are sometimes blocked by plugs 
of dried oil and horny cells. When the ends of 
the plugs have been exposed to the air, they do not 
refled: light and their tops look black; the plugs 
are known as blackheads. 

These plugs were known to the ancients as 
comedones, from a Latin word signifying a diner- 
out, because their presence is associated with dis- 
turbance of digestion. 

After a time the skin round the comedones be- 
comes red, the condition being known as acne, a 
Greek word derived from the fad: that acne is 
most common at the age which the ancients con- 
sidered to be the acme or prime of life. 

In connexion with acne, there are two bed-rock 
fadts that should be borne in mind: the hair chan- 
nels become plugged from causes associated with 
digestion, and at a time of life when the skin is 
most adtive. 

The mechanism by which the hair channels be- 
come so loaded and blocked that acne occurs is the 
following : — 

[160] 



THE FACE 

Oil is poured into the channels, and either comes 
to the surface of the skin, which then looks moist 
and oily, or it does not come to the surface because 
the channels are narrowed by an increase of horny 
cells inside them and on the surface of the skin. 
As this narrowing of the channels prevents the 
contents being squeezed out uninjured, they can 
only be dislodged like a little worm. When plenty 
of exercise is taken, the perspiration prevents the 
horny layer becoming unduly hard; it remains 
soft and does not block the hair channels by which 
'the hair-follicles open and the oil has unimpeded 
access to the surface. 

In addition to increased activity of the skin and 
digestive disturbance, there is a third fadtor in caus- 
ing acne, namely, scurf in the hair. 

The importance of this fa&or is obvious when 
one remembers that acne does not occur where the 
hair grows vigorously, as on the scalp and eyebrows 
in both men and women, and, in men, on the por- 
tion of the face where the hair has passed well 
beyond the downy stage and is growing vigorously. 
On the other hand, though acne is most conspicu- 
ous on the face, yet it is often present on the back 
and shoulders — spots where scurf falls when the 
hair is brushed. 

Acne only occurs when scurf is mixed with the 
contents of the hair channels; when this happens 
the last stage of acne is present, the skin round 
the hair channels becomes red and matter forms, 

[161] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

so that acne spots are seen with red rims and white 
mattery heads. Consequently, when acne is pres- 
ent, or ever has been present, too much attention 
cannot be paid to the care of the hair and scalp. 

It is impossible to be too emphatic on the im- 
portance of completing the toilet of the face after 
brushing the hair. The reason for this is that 
when the skin is oily, an excess of oil is poured 
out on to the scalp; the oil does not block the 
dudts because it is pushed out by the adtively grow- 
ing hair, but remains on the surface of the scalp in 
the form of scurf. Brushing the hair causes the 
scurf to fall on the face, shoulders and back, which 
are the parts where acne is most prominent, the 
hair channels here being wide and only partly 
filled by the downy hairs, which are too weak to 
lift up the dried oil. 

Scurf in the hair both starts acne and keeps it 
up ; that is to say, as long as scurf falls when the 
hair is vigorously brushed, so long is acne liable to 
recur; this explains the length of time and the 
varying ages when acne is seen. 

It should also be borne in mind that excess of 
scurf in the hair — the first stage on the road to 
baldness — occurs at a very early age, though bald- 
ness itself may not be noticeable till well on in 
middle life. There is much truth in the saying, 
"When scurf ceases to fall, then the hair falls." 
At first the dried oil and horny cells cast off by the 
scalp as scurf lodge on the face and shoulders and 

[ 162 ] 



THE FACE 

cause acne; later on they are not dislodged from 
the hair channels of the scalp, but remain and 
cause baldness. 

The greater liability to acne in men than in 
women and, what is still more noticeable, its greater 
severity, are due to the same causes as the greater 
prevalence of baldness in them, namely, dryness of 
the scalp and its less frequent exposure to air and 
light on account of their black, heavy hats. 

In addition to errors of digestion and scurf in 
the hair, acne is produced by the drugs taken to 
induce sleep, known as bromo and bromide prepa- 
rations; and by iodides taken as blood purifiers, 
and blood mixtures. 

The first step in the prevention of acne is to 
secure the removal of all scurf from the scalp. 

The first step in the cure of acne is to remove 
the thickened horny layer. The skin afFedted should 
be bathed with hot water ; the face can be steamed 
by holding it over a basin of boiling water, both 
the head and the basin being covered with a towel. 
After drying the skin, the excess of now softened 
horny layer and oil should be further softened by 
the use of cold cream, or face cream containing 
soap, or soap itself. Soap may be used in the fol- 
lowing ways so as to produce various effedts and 
results : 

( i ) The mildest a&ion is produced by washing 
in the usual way, the soap only remaining on the 
skin a very short time before it is washed off. 

[163] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

( 2 ) A stronger efFedt is produced by rubbing 
the lather into the skin, leaving it on for a 
few minutes, and then wiping it off with a dry 
towel. 

( 3 ) A still stronger effect is produced by rub- 
bing the lather into the skin and leaving it on all 
night. 

( 4 ) The strongest effed: results from rubbing 
the lather into the skin and then, while it is still 
damp, covering it with gold-beater's skin, rubber, 
oiled skin or other water-proof material. 

( 5 ) A very marked rea&ion is produced if a 
soapy lather is first rubbed on and then massaged 
into the skin, which is meanwhile kept moist by 
dabbing with hot water or by steaming. The 
lather is finally removed with a dry towel. 

If the vigorous use of soap causes smarting or 
scaliness, relief will be obtained by applying cold 
cream. 

Superfatted soap is best for starting the removal 
of blackheads. If, after a fair trial for a week, the 
improvement is slow, then glycerin soap should be 
substituted, or a soap containing a definite propor- 
tion of a drug known to be beneficial when applied 
to the skin. 

During the day, moisture should be absorbed by 
a face powder of rice starch with boric acid, ap- 
plied on a piece of cotton-wool, which can be 
thrown away after use ; never use a powder puff for 
this purpose. Moisture can be removed from the 

[i6 4 ] 



THE FACE 

face, especially from the sides of the nose, by wip- 
ing with tissue or other soft paper. 

The special means taken to soften the horny 
layer are by the use of sulphur, salicylic acid and 
resorcin, always beginning with a lotion, as a lo- 
tion is less irritating than an ointment, which should 
be used when the lotion has done its work and 
produced an improvement. 

Resorcin Lotion — 
Resorcin i dr., Water i oz. 

Resorcin Ointment — 

Resorcin i dr., Zinc Oxide i dr., Soft Paraffin to 
make i oz. 

The zinc is used to thicken the ointment, so 
that it will stick to the skin for the whole night, 
and can be washed off in the morning, bringing 
away at the same time the loosened horny cells. 

Sulphur Lotion — 

Precipitated Sulphur 50 gr., Glycerin 15 drops, 
Lime-water and Rose Water of each y 2 oz. 

Glycerin is used to make the sulphur adhere to the 
skin, rose water to cover its smell. If the skin is at 
all dry, the glycerin should be replaced by five drops 
of spirit of camphor and five grains of gum arabic. 

A weak sulphur lotion is best combined with 
zinc if there is much scurf in the hair and the 
skin is moist: 

Sulphur 10 gr., Zinc Phenolsulphonate 5 gr., 
Zinc Oxide 20 gr., Eau de Cologne 1 dr., Water 
to make 1 oz. 

[165] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

If the skin is dry, use twenty grains of calamine 
instead of the zinc phenolsulphonate. 
Sulphur Ointments — 

( i ) Sulphur Precipitated 20 gr., Spermaceti Cerate 
4 dr.. Cold Cream to 1 oz. 

A similar ointment is made by mixing this 
amount of sulphur with cold cream made a little 
thicker than customary by using more wax; if 
this is done, then the amount of sulphur can be 
increased, as redness is absent or present, by re- 
melting the cream and adding the sulphur as it 
cools. 

( 2 ) Sulphur y 2 dr., Zinc Oxide 1 dr., Almond-oil 
y 2 oz., Watery Wool Fat y 2 oz. 

The indication as to the choice of resorcin or 
sulphur is the amount of redness of the face, which 
may be of a deeper tint than usual all over, or there 
may be numerous pimples ; in either condition 
begin with resorcin, and avoid sulphur, which is 
called for by the presence of few pimples and 
moisture. 

If the horny layer is thickened, solid substance, 
horny cells, not dirt, is removed by rubbing; then 
use salicylic acid and sulphur, of each 15 grains 
in one ounce of benzoated lard. 

If matter forms in the pimples, they should be 
pricked with a pin that has been cleaned by re- 
maining for five minutes in boiling water, and 
the skin fomented during the following night with 
lint soaked in boiling water containing 10 grains 

[166] 



THE FACE 

of boric acid to the ounce and covered with gutta- 
percha tissue to retain the heat. 

When some of the pimples have matter in 
them, solid soap is irritating, and should be re- 
placed by Panama bark for washing. 

Quillaja Tincture 4 dr., Solution of Ammonia 1 
dr., Rose Water to 6 oz. 

The methods already mentioned remove the ex- 
cess of oil from the face and reduce the amount 
of horny cells on the surface of the skin ; but 
special methods should be adopted to remove the 
horny layer, as soon as all redness, smarting or 
scaliness has gone. 

Mechanical means effect this; massage by rub- 
bing in at night, talc — three drams and a dram 
and a half of vinegar made into a paste, and lightly 
massaging for a few minutes or more, according as 
any smarting is set up, which is relieved by cold 
cream. 

No mention has been made of corrosive sub- 
limate and other mercury preparations for acne, yet 
it is by the cure of acne that corrosive sublimate 
has come into vogue, the reason being that the 
moist condition of the skin in acne prevents the 
corrosive sublimate coming in contact with and 
damaging the horny cells, and it a&s by sterilizing 
and neutralizing the moisture which is mixed with 
the germs that fall from the scalp, thus afting as a 
germicide, that is, a germ killer. 

The same result can be better obtained by 

[167] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

attending to the care of the hair and preventing 
germs collecting. But if it is desired t© cure acne 
quickly, then the complexion improvers can be 
applied, bearing in mind that their immoderate 
use may necessitate a retreat from public gaze for 
three or four days till the continued use of cold 
cream has removed the irritation set up. 
A much used Acne Lotion is: 

Zinc Oxide 10 gr., Calamine 20 gr.. Glycerin 10 
drops, Perchloride of Mercury Solution 1 dr., 
Water 1 oz. 

Having described the external remedies for the 
cure of acne and the removal of blackheads, the ' 
internal and general treatment demands our atten- 
tion. 

If any of the acne spots have mattery heads, 
salines are necessary. Useful prescriptions are the 
Morning Draft (p. 28) and the prescription con- 
taining Sulphate of Iron (p. 33). 

If, after a week, new mattery heads form and 
the tongue has no fur on it in the morning, then 
the pill of Calcium Sulphide (p. 121) is of ser- 
vice. But if the tongue is coated, benefit results 
from Tonic Soda Mixture: 

Soda Bicarbonate 10 gr., Aromatic Spirit of Am- 
monia 10 drops, Glycerin 10 drops, Compound 
Gentian Infusion to make 1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken three times a 
day half an hour before meals. 

When the tongue is coated and any discomfort 

[168] 



THE FACE 

is felt after meals, bismuth is called for; an excel- 
lent way to take it is: 

Bismuth Carbonate 10 gr., Soda Bicarbonate 10 
gr., Nux Vomica Tincture 5 drops, Chirata Tinc- 
ture 15 drops, Tragacanth Mucilage 30 drops, 
Peppermint Water to make 1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken half an hour 
after meals. 

If, after taking either of the above medicines 
for two weeks, the tongue is clean and no discom- 
fort felt after meals, then is the time to take yeast 
and preparations made from yeast. A tablespoon- 
ful of fresh barm from a brewery or one teaspoon- 
ful of yeast should be taken before breakfast in 
half a tumbler of water. 

When the redness round the acne spots has 
faded, or is fading, then is the time iron, followed 
by arsenic, is of use. 

If acne is most conspicuous on the chin there is 
usually trouble below the waist, and relief is ob- 
tained by Chlorate of Potash Acne Mixture: 

Chlorate of Potash 7^ gr., Magnesia Sulphate 1 
dr., Sodium Phosphate 1 dr., Peppermint Water 
1 oz. 

Two tablespoonfuls to be taken in half a tum- 
bler of water first thing in the morning. 

Those who once have had acne should recollect 
that they have delicate skins, and perhaps digestions 
none too robust. 

They should take special care to counteract the 

[169] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

formation of blackheads by the judicious use of 
soap and face lotions and the occasional use of 
cold cream at night, with a drier ointment in the 
morning. 

This is especially important when leaving home 
for a fresh residence ; but it is satisfactory to know 
that wherever one goes, it is always possible to find 
some who have studied the best toilet requisites 
for that particular locality, and its peculiarities in 
wind, sunshine and water, the absolute and relative 
moisture in the air and the nature of the water 
supply. 

PIMPLES 

Pimples are small red spots due to something 
getting into and irritating the hair channels. 

If they are painful apply Calamine Sedative 
Lotion (p. 154) frequently. If it is not convenient 
to do this, apply Healing Cream at bedtime. 

When there is no pain apply, night and morn- 
ing, Alum and Sulphur Lotion: 

Alum y 2 dr., Sodium Chloride y 2 dr., Sulphur y 2 
dr., Spermaceti 10 gr., Glycerin 20 drops, Water 
to make 1 oz. 



[170] 



Chapter VII 

THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

TREATMENT IN DIFFERENT 
COUNTRIES 

Whether it is a minor detail that has escaped 
the notice of historians, we find but slight infor- 
mation of the care of the mouth and teeth, though 
we know that artificial teeth were worn by the 
ancient Egyptians. 

In hot countries it is especially necessary to be 
particular about the care of the mouth and teeth. 
The Brahmins are required to wash their mouth 
four times a day: on rising in the morning and 
after every meal, the only excuse being illness, 
which makes the gums tender. 

Again, when on a journey, though they may have 
neither cash nor scrip, yet they must have tooth- 
sticks of various woods for performing their oral 
toilet. 

Natives of hot climates, instead of tooth-brushes, 
use woods of varying density to clean the teeth and 
various leaves to massage the gums and to clean 
the tongue; for though with us it is not usual to 
do more for the tongue than simply to rinse the 
mouth, yet most shops in London keep tongue- 
scrapers, usually made of tortoise-shell. 

[171] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

In Japan one not infrequently sees the tooth- 
brush and tongue-scraper combined, the handle of 
the brush being made of pliant bamboo which can 
be bent into a loop and passed to the back of the 
tongue. 

I hope my readers will not consider these de- 
tails superfluous, my objedt being to emphasize the 
importance of not limiting the apparatus for the 
toilet of the mouth to the tooth-brush. 

THE LIPS 

The first things to consider are the lips. From 
very ancient times lemon has been the favorite 
means of promoting their redness ; a slice of lemon 
or lime daily rubbed on the lips just to cause ting- 
ling leaves them pleasantly red, provided that they 
are not cracked. The best salve for tinting the lips 
is Carmine 7^ grains, Boric Acid 1 y 2 dram, Hard 
Paraffin y 2 ounce, Soft Paraffin 1 ounce. 

Cracked Lips — For the prevention of cracked 
lips the best application is half an ounce of wax 
and one ounce of almond-oil colored with ten 
drops of solution of carmine and flavored with two 
drops of oil of rose. There are two causes for 
cracking of the lips: one is dryness of the air or 
of the lips, the lips becoming dry when air passes 
over them, as after speaking for a long time, and 
in individuals who indulge in mouth breathing; 
another reason for the lips cracking is the irritation 
of tooth-powder. 

[ x 7 2 ] 



THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

MOUTH BREATHING 

Mouth breathing is injurious in many ways. 
The lips are not pressed together, so that they be- 
come thick, their muscles are not used, so that 
they become weak, and speech is indistinct; even 
stammering may result and become a habit which 
continues for life. 

Again, the mouth being kept open causes the 
front teeth to become dry and to be discolored and 
to decay. 

When the air passes into the throat through the 
nose it is warmed before it reaches the throat, but 
with mouth breathing this does not occur, so that 
there is a great liability to sore throat; trouble 
may spread from the throat to the ear and cause 
deafness, or it may penetrate even as far as the 
lungs. There is also great liability to catch cold 
and contrad: disease of the vocal and breathing 
apparatus. 

All these evils can be avoided by nose breathing, 
which is the natural way of breathing, the mouth 
being kept in reserve for speaking and severe ex- 
ertion. 

Nose breathing can be acquired and become ha- 
bitual if regular nose-breathing exercises are taken. 

An excellent healing ointment for the lips con- 
sists of: 

Almond-oil i oz., Spermaceti 3 dr., White Wax 1 
dr., Glycerin of Borax 2 dr., Oil of Rose 5 drops, 
Solution of Carmine 5 drops. 

['73] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

DENTIFRICES 

Caution as to Choice of Tooth Powders — 
Delicate lips are liable to be irritated by a tooth 
powder or mouth wash, not because the powder 
or wash is too strong, but because the lips and skin 
around are so unusually delicate that they are irri- 
tated by powders and washes that are well borne 
by those with less delicate skins. 

This is an additional reason for having tooth 
powders and mouth washes specially prepared so 
that the nature and proportions of the ingredients 
are known. When this is done, a dentist or do&or 
( if anything has caused the irritation ) can reduce 
the amount or remove any ingredient that is capa- 
ble of irritating even the most delicate lips. 

CARE OF THE TEETH 

Cleaning the teeth consists in treating the gums 
and removing dried saliva, otherwise called tartar, 
and stains and food from the surface of the teeth 
and the spaces between them. 

Most of the food can be removed from between 
the teeth by rinsing after each meal, but if particles 
should refuse to be thus dislodged, then a quill or 
wooden toothpick or floss silk should be used. 

There are three preparations for cleaning the 
teeth : chalk, cuttlefish bone and pumice-stone. 

Pumice should be reserved for stains on the 
teeth, usually those of smokers, and is best used on 
the end of a burnt match, so that it can be made 

h74] 



THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

to touch exadtly the spot, whether on the front or 
sides of the teeth. If the pointed end of a burnt 
match cannot be inserted between the teeth, then 
dentist's or other glazed silk should be dipped in 
water and then in pumice powder; this will cause 
the powder to stick to it when it is worked to and 
fro between the teeth. This can be done by* pass- 
ing the silk between two teeth and bringing it for- 
ward through the next space. This will prevent 
any tartar collecting behind the teeth. 

Pumice powder can be used at home, but if 
there is tartar inside, behind the teeth, where it is 
more injurious than in front, where it is visible 
and get-atable, then it is better to entrust oneself 
to the gentle care of the dentist so as to be sure 
that the gum is not injured. Stains on the teeth 
can be removed by peroxide of hydrogen applied 
with a match; this is not so injurious to the teeth 
as either cuttlefish bone or pumice. Cuttlefish 
bone should only be used by those who have strong 
teeth ; in fadt, it should only be used occasionally, 
except when prescribed by a dentist. The best way 
to use it is, when a tooth powder is made up, to 
have one ounce of it made separately with half a 
dram of cuttlefish bone. 

Chalk being the basis of tooth powder, it may 
be used alone or as camphorated chalk; or, for 
those who only care for a small amount of cam- 
phor, equal parts of precipitated and camphorated 
chalk may be mixed. 

[*7S] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Pleasant flavors are imparted to tooth powders 
by half a dram of iris-root, with two or more 
drops of any of the following oils according to 
taste: namely, cloves, cinnamon, wintergreen or 
peppermint. Of powdered curd soap and sepia 
bone, half a dram to the ounce is a convenient 
basis which can be increased or decreased as cir- 
cumstances indicate: 

( i ) Powdered Iris-root y 2 dr., Oil of Wintergreen 

2 drops, Chalk to i oz. 

(2) Powdered Curd Soap y 2 dr., Powdered Iris- 
root y 2 dr., Oil of Peppermint 2 y 2 drops, Precip- 
itated Chalk to 1 oz. 

(3) Curd Soap y 2 dr., Powdered Cuttlefish Bone y 2 
dr., Iris-root Powdered y 2 dr., Oil of Cinnamon 

3 drops, Precipitated Chalk to 1 oz. 

Carbolic acid is of especial use when the gums 
are soft or apt to bleed. 

(4) Carbolic Acid 5 drops, Precipitated Chalk 1 oz. 
Those who have tender teeth and soft gums 

are benefited by alkalis, either magnesia, soda or 
potash. 

( 5 ) Carbonate of Magnesia y 2 oz., Oil of Pepper- 
mint 2 drops, Chalk to 1 oz. 

A pleasant and efficient foaming tooth powder 
for the delicate teeth of children and others who 
have a sweet tooth is: 

( 6 ) Bicarbonate of Soda 1 5 gr., Chlorate of Potash 
15 gr., Soap y 2 dr., Iris-root y 2 dr., Chalk to 1 
oz., Saccharin 1 gr., Oil of Peppermint 1 drop, 
Oil of Wintergreen 2 drops. 

[176] 



THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

MOUTH WASHES 

Mouth washes, though they have no direft 
a&ion on the teeth, are often called dentifrices, 
and by many persons are the only applications 
used for the mouth except a tooth-brush. 

It seems that, though smoking stains certain 
teeth, yet there are some teeth that, if not im- 
proved by its use, are at all events in no way in- 
jured by it. Not that this is in any way an 
expression of opinion that smoking is good for 
the teeth, but each case should be decided on its 
own merits by the dentist in charge before a habit 
is abandoned which to some may be soothing and 
beneficial. 

Mouth washes consist of scents and deodorants, 
spirits and astringents, to harden the gums and 
mouth; besides, some contain alkalis to prevent 
decay or erosion of the teeth; if acids are used 
they are those that are antiseptic, not corrosive in 
action, as benzoic and carbolic, known to chem- 
ists as phenyl or phenol. 

( i ) Benzoic Acid 4 gr., Krameria Tincture 1 dr., 
Saccharin 8 gr., Peppermint-oil 2 drops, Cinna- 
mon-oil 2 drops, Rectified Spirit to make 1 oz. 

(2) Soda Salicylate 1 gr., Soda Chloride 10 gr., 
Soda Bicarbonate 10 gr., Thymol % gr., Men- 
thol y^ gr., Water to make 1 oz. 

These are used by mixing a teaspoonful of the 
dentifrice in a tumbler of water, or by sprinkling 
a few drops on the tooth-brush. 

[ l 77] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

A stronger mouth wash for use during and after 
illness, or when from any cause the gums are 
tender, is: 

( 3 ) Liquid Phenol y 2 dr., Potash Solution y 2 dr., 
Peppermint Water to make i oz. 

This should only be used by mixing in a little 
water; it is too strong to be used on a tooth-brush. 

CARE OF THE GUMS 

As the state of the hair depends on the condi- 
tion of the scalp, so does health of the teeth de- 
pend on the health of the gums. 

The gums can be kept healthy by the regular 
use of a tooth-brush, but it is better to pay special 
attention to the — 

Massage of the Gums — After the tooth-brush 
has been used for the teeth, a mouth wash should 
be used to rinse the mouth, then a finger should 
be passed as far back as possible between the teeth 
and the gum, and the gum of the upper jaw vigor- 
ously rubbed; the lower gum should then be 
treated the same way; slowly work toward the 
front teeth, then go to the very back of the other 
side of the mouth from which a start was made. 
When the outside of the gums have been massaged, 
repeat the process inside the gums with even 
greater care, for it is inside the teeth that the gums 
are most tender and liable to recede from the 
teeth, for a great deal of decay of the teeth is 
found at the junction of the gum with the tooth 

[178] 



THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

when the tooth is exposed from the shrinking of 
the gum. 

The best drugs for the gums are boric acid and 
resorcin : 

Resorcin 20 gr., Compound Tincture of Lavender 
y 2 dr., Glycerin y 2 dr., Saccharin y gr., Satu- 
rated Solution of Boric Acid to make 1 oz. 

The following is excellent; the only objection 
to it is the amount of alcohol, which makes it 
expensive, but this does not apply to countries 
where the duty is light. 

Glycerin of boric acid, krameria tindture, Eau 
de Cologne? chloroform spirit, of each one dram, 
with rectified spirit to make an ounce. 

When used, to be diluted with just sufficient 
water not to cause smarting in the mouth. 

THE TONGUE 

The condition of the tongue varies with health, 
but there is no one constant state of the tongue 
which can be taken as a standard of health, as it 
varies so much in individuals. Every one must 
find out for himself what condition of the tongue 
is compatible with perfedt health. Although it is 
considered the mark of a valetudinarian to examine 
one's own tongue, nevertheless it is well to do so, 
for as individuals vary as regards the amount of 
horny cells present on the surface of the skin, so 
they vary as to the amount of fur on the tongue 
in the morning. 

[ J 79] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Furred Tongue — Natives and residents in hot 
climates have copious morning fur on the tongue 
and for it use tongue-scrapers, employing tooth 
sticks to clean the teeth. For those who use 
tooth-brushes, the standard preparation for the 
tongue is a powder made with : 

Chlorate of Potash y 2 dr., Soap and Chalk equal 
parts to make i oz., flavored with Menthol 10 
gr., Oil of Wintergreen, Oil of Bergamot — of 
each 5 gr. 

Blisters on the Lips — Small blisters form in- 
side the lips and cheeks, as well as on the tongue 
during a cold, and when from smoking or other 
reason the digestion is upset. They should be dried 
with a handkerchief or piece of cotton-wool, and 
then touched with a fine camel's-hair brush, or end 
of a match cut to a point, dipped in equal parts of 
myrrh tindture, iodine tindture and tinfture of 
cochlearia. The mouth should then be at once 
rinsed with water. 

When the blisters have burst, leaving shallow 
ulcers, they should be painted with the same, diluted 
with equal parts of water. 

Recurrence of these blisters and ulcers is pre- 
vented by the use of chlorate of potash lozenges. 

THE TEETH IN THE TROPICS 

After the eyes, no part of the body suffers more 
than the teeth from the effedt of heat. The reason 
is that, besides being liable to decay as at other 

[180] 






THE MOUTH AND TEETH 

times, erosion of the teeth occurs, — they are worn 
away without pain as a rock is worn away by 
water. The best preventive is to have the teeth 
attended to before going abroad and immediately 
on return, because on returning to a cold climate 
the erosion increases rapidly and may cause pain, 
and when pain is once felt in a tooth it is only a 
question of time and the dentist's skill before that 
tooth is lost. 

The erosion is partly due to the necessity of 
taking soft, easily digested food in the tropics ; this 
may be counteracted by well masticating a hard 
captain's biscuit first thing in the morning. In the 
tropics hard tooth powders are more injurious than 
under any other circumstances; what is wanted is 
more a cooling and cleansing mouth wash, which 
cannot be used too often for comfort, even first 
thing in the morning, last thing at night and after 
every meal. An excellent dentifrice consists of: 

Salol i dr., Soft Soap i dr., Quillaja Tincture 4 dr., 
Saccharin 3 gr., Peppermint-oil 1 dr., Anise-oil 
5 drops, Fennel-oil 5 drops, Clove-oil 1 drops, 
Cinnamon-oil 1 drop, Chloroform Spirit y 2 oz., 
Rectified Spirit to 6 oz. 

Mix and filter. A few drops on a tooth-brush 
or in water as a mouth wash. At first sight this 
looks like the list of most of the drugs in a chem- 
ist's shop, but it is much more simple when con- 
sidered. Salol is a blend of phenyl and salicylic 
acid that cleans the teeth, gums and tongue; its 

[181] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

adtion is aided by the soap, which froths and pro- 
duces a feeling of coolness ; this adtion, in its turn, 
is helped by the foaming due to quillaja. Saccharin 
and chloroform taste sweet and tone down the 
taste of the five oils, which are so blended that 
the scent of no one of them is present in such 
quantity as to predominate ; they may be varied as 
the taste and experience of the user suggests. It 
may be thought it is expensive to have this pre- 
pared. I can only say for the best chemists in 
England, who charge, and are justified in charging, 
for their skill and the guaranteed purity of the 
chemicals they employ, that their price for this 
dentifrice is fifty per cent less than the commonest 
dentifrice made wholesale, which consists of salol, 
scented with peppermint, dissolved in water con- 
taining peroxide of hydrogen; whereas this con- 
tains spirit which in England is expensive, but is 
excellent for the gums. 



[is*] 



Chapter VIII 

THE HANDS 

PAST AND PRESENT MEASURES 
TO BEAUTIFY 

KJf all the members of the body the hand is 
that which most frequently comes prominently 
before the gaze of its owner, whose artistic sense 
is thereby gratified by any care and attention she 
may bestow upon it. On it the symbol of the 
most sacred of human relationships is placed, and 
to it man is in a large measure indebted for the 
place of priority he has won for himself in the 
scheme of animated Nature. 

This being the case, it is not singular that in 
times past and present very high honor has been 
paid to it and great pains taken to assist Nature in 
making it as beautiful and attractive as possible. 

In various countries means are used to altar its 
tint to relieve the eye of its owner and to impress 
the beholder. In cold climates every effort is 
made to preserve a white hand, whereas in warm 
climates, where strong colors alone charm and re- 
lieve the eye, vivid coloring is used. The most 
ancient, and still most frequently used, is the red 
tint, furnished by dried and powdered henna leaves 
for coloring, sometimes the finger-nails or the tips 

[183] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

of the fingers, and in some cases the palms of the 
hands. 

In Turkey it is used for the tips of the fingers 
only; in Egypt for the palms of the hands and 
soles of the feet. 

Everywhere well-tended hands and nails are the 
outward and visible sign of a life free from manual 
labor, and leave the impression that the time saved 
from toil is devoted to intellectual pursuits and a 
literary or contemplative life. 

In China a blue button mandarin without long 
nails is like a British peer without a pedigree, the 
nail of the left little finger being the especial ob- 
ject of care, and protected by a chaste filigree nail- 
guard. 

Before knives and forks were in daily use, the 
washing of the hands was both a symbolical puri- 
fication as well as a preventative of the contamina- 
tion of food; the washing after food was less 
necessary to health, but more conducive to com- 
fort. In the modern dining-room, where comfort 
takes precedence over health, finger-bowls are only 
used after meals. 

On comparing the management of the hands 
with the face and the rest of the skin, two im- 
portant fads are noticed. First, on the back of 
the hands there are few oil-dudts, and on the palms 
they are entirely absent, their place being taken by 
a greater number of sweat-du<5ts, which open di- 
rectly into the surface, so that perspiration finds its 

[i8 4 ] 



THE HANDS 

J way dire&ly on to the surface, whereas in other 
parts of the skin it slowly trickles through the 
horny cells. Consequently for the hands super- 
fatted soap should always be used. Again, if there 
is an accumulation of horny cells over the rest of 
the body, the sweat is obstrudted, except on the 
hands and feet, which become unusually moist, 
and the skin here becomes soft or even sodden; 
from this it is plain that the care of the hands 
greatly depends on the care of the skin of the 
whole body. 

The second fad: is that the skin of the hands is 
liable to be soiled, stained and injured, especially 
from housework when using soap and, what is still 
more injurious, soda. In winter, putting them in 
water and then allowing them to dry leaves the 
skin dry, so that it cracks and chaps, — a condition 
so disfiguring and distressing that it is desirable to 
consider it at length. The smoothness of the hands 
is preserved by means that harden the horny layer 
without causing it to crack. 

CARE OF THE HANDS 

The care of the hands is the first and last item 
of the toilet, which should be commenced by 
washing them in separate water, and is best done 
in a special hand-basin reserved for the purpose. 
The water should be just tepid, unless they have 
been soiled, when warm water is to be preferred. 
The soap for the hands should always be superfatted ; 

[185] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

if they have been stained, a piece of pumice-stone 
should be used, or sand soap of a variety that will 
not wash clothes and specially made for toilet pur- 
poses for photographers. Finally, when the rest of 
the toilet, including the hair and face, etc., is com- 
plete, then is the time for using special means to 
preserve the whiteness and softness of the hands 
and arms. Bran oatmeal and almond meal may 
replace the use of soap for tender hands, and are 
always useful to complete the drying, to prevent 
chapping, and to soften and whiten the hands. 
After drying the hands with a towel ( which 
should be harder than the one used for the face, 
but softer than the bath towel used for the rest of 
the body), the skin is polished by rubbing with a 
little bran or meal, which, becoming slightly 
moist, is absorbed by the horny layer which is 
thereby softened. 

An excellent preparation for cleaning the hands 
is the white of one egg mixed with one ounce of 
glycerin. This should be used instead of soap; it 
is not to be left on the hands, as the large amount 
of glycerin would cause the skin to become too 
dry. 

The following are more soothing and more 
cleansing than even the best superfatted soap: 
( i ) Almond Meal y 2 lb., Curd Soap *^ lb. 

These should be dried, pounded and well mixed ; 
perfume, which is unnecessary, being added if de- 
sired. 

[186] 



THE HANDS 

( 2 ) Almond Meal 6 oz., Wheat Flour 4 oz., Curd 
Soap y oz.. Borax y oz * 
An excellent perfume is orris-root, 1 ounce; 
essential oil of almonds, 10 drops; oil of berga- 
mot, 30 drops. 

Scented Almond Meal — 

Almond Meal 1 oz., Orris-root 2 dr., Borax y 2 dr., 
Bergamot-oil y 2 dr., Bitter Almond Essential 
Oil 2 drops, Geranium-oil 1 drop, Orange-flower 
Oil y 2 drop. 

Almond Paste — 

Almond Meal 1 oz., Orris-root 25 gr., Prepared 
Chalk 50 gr., Curd Soap 3 dr., Tragacanth 5 
gr., Rose Water about 6 dr. Perfume with: — 
Bitter Almond Essential Oil 4^ drops, Berga- 
mot-oil 5 drops, Orange-flower Oil ij^ drops, 
Geranium-oil 4 drops. 

For slightly red hands the following is the best 
substitute for solid soap : Half an ounce each of 
cocoa butter, of almond- or olive-oil and of curd 
soap and glycerin melted on a water bath and 
made up to eight ounces with rose water. It can 
be further scented with 1 o drops of oil of orange- 
flower. This, which is a form of cold cream, can 
be smeared on last thing at night, and gloves, a 
size too large, worn for sleeping in 

White Hands — Hands are red when blood 
collects and stagnates in them, or when the circu- 
lation is feeble, or there is irritation of the skin. 
They are white when the blood drains out of 
them. The hands, therefore, become red when 

[187] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

the arms hang down and white when the blood 
leaves them, as when the hands are raised above 
the head. 

Feeble circulation is most noticeable in cold 
weather, and causes chilblains; as these are more 
common on the feet, their prevention and treat- 
ment will be discussed in the next chapter (p. 213). 

Glove Pastes — Excellent preparations for 
wearing with gloves are: 

( 1 ) The yolk of one egg beaten up, with one 
teaspoonful of glycerin and one ounce of honey, 
mixed with flour, rice or wheat, sufficiently to 
smear on the hands. More elaborate ones are 
made by: 

( 2 ) Mixing in a water bath one ounce of wax, 
adding half an ounce of myrrh, two ounces of 
honey and three ounces of rose water. And — 

( 3 ) The yolk of one egg, tindture of benzoin 
20 drops, olive-oil one teaspoonful, glycerin half 
an ounce, rose water half an ounce, and making 
into a paste with half or one teaspoonful of flour 
according as it is preferred thick or moderately 
thin. 

The best way to whiten the hands is to sleep 
with them raised above the head. An objection 
may be made to this that in winter they will be 
cold and chilblains may form, as they do on the 
nose and ears. Exposure of the head at night in a 
bedroom, even with the windows open, does not 
cause chilblains; these are caused by the state of 

[188] 



THE HANDS 

the blood supply ; exposure to cold, unless in a high 
wind, does not cause them ; they are more com- 
mon on the covered feet than on the exposed nose. 

Protection of the Hands — Nurses, surgeons 
and those who work in liquids that irritate the 
hands should not use gloves out-of-doors except in 
very cold weather, but if they are compelled to 
wear them, care must be taken to have them at 
least a size too large so that there is free circula- 
tion of blood; the rule with coachmen is that the 
gloves must project one inch beyond the tips of 
the fingers. 

Warts — Warts are sprouts of the deeper blood- 
bearing parts of the skin rising up through the 
horny layer, this sprouting in some cases being ac- 
companied by, and at other times caused by, the 
thinning of the horny layer, which allows foreign 
matter to pass into and irritate the deeper part. 

On the hands warts are most common, because 
the skin comes in contadt with soap, soda, salt and 
other materials, of which the scurf which falls 
when the hair is brushed is by no means the least 
important. 

In former times witches and warts were associa- 
ted as to cause and cure, because the above explan- 
ation is too simple to be credited. An old but not 
inefficient cure was to lick the warts first thing in 
the morning ; this adts in two ways. First, it re- 
moves any scurf which may have touched and 
lodged on them during the night ; secondly, it pre- 

[i8 9 ] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

vents scurf coming into actual contact with the 
warts while the hair is being brushed. 

Warts are cured by avoiding anything that can 
irritate the skin (as too strong soap, and soda by 
housemaids, or chemicals in photographing), and 
then painting them with half a dram of salicylic 
acid, an ounce of flexible collodion or an alterna- 
tive 10 per cent of chromic acid in water. 

Warts on the Face — Warts, though most 
common on the hands, when they do occur on the 
face, may be so numerous that it is impossible to 
paint each wart, and ointments are required. 

( i ) Five per cent salicylic acid, that is, 25 
grains in the ounce, or — 

( 2 ) Resorcin, chlorate of potash and sulphur ; 
1 5 grains of each in an ounce of soft paraffin. To 
be smeared on at night. 

Irritation of scurf on the surface of the skin 
causes an irritation below the surface, which causes 
warts. In both cases the state of the scalp should 
be put right, and care direfted to the digestion. 
An excellent morning tonic or digestive draft is : 

Iron Sulphate 3 gr., Sulphuric Acid Dilute 3 drops, 
Magnesia Sulphate y 2 dr., Nux Vomica Tincture 
5 drops, Nutmeg Spirit 10 drops, Water to make 
1 oz. 

MANICURE 

The process is as follows : — The tips of the 
fingers of one hand are immersed in shredded soap 
dissolved in hot water; the tips remain in this 

[190] 



THE HANDS 

mixture for a minute or so while the manicurist 
prepares the instruments and sets a table in order. 
The superfluous moisture is then removed from the 
skin of the fingers. The skin at the root of the 
nail is then pressed back with a piece of ivory or 
wood with a spade-like edge, and the nails dried. 
Next, with a pair of manicure scissors, the skin at 
the root of the nail is cut ; these scissors are fine- 
pointed and curved on the flat; as far as possible 
the skin should be cut in one piece. The nails are 
then cut, being left pointed or rounded as the taste 
of the operator decides. But to be artistic, if the 
fingers are short, broad and stumpy, the edge of 
the nails should be straight or but little curved. 
With fingers of medium length and thickness the 
ends of the nails should be rounded, but if the 
nails are long and filbert-like, it is justifiable to 
trim the nails to a point. 

After the nails are trimmed the next step con- 
sists in removing superfluous skin from the root 
and from under the edge with a piece of wood 
dipped in tartaric acid or peroxide of hydrogen. 
Orangewood is commonly used, because it is hard 
and is unaffected by the acid, but any wood will 
do. The nails are then well dried. The edge of 
the nail is filed down and smoothed, first with a 
fine steel file, and secondly with an emery pad. 
Last of all the nail is polished by applying oint- 
ment, which adts as a varnish, on which is sprinkled 
polishing powder consisting of putty powder, oxide 

[191] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

of tin or oleate of tin. The ointment consists of 
watery wool fat six drams, almond-oil two drams, 
liquid cochineal fifteen drops. The powder con- 
sists of oleate or oxide of tin, with one dram of 
vermilion to each ounce. When the nails are 
diseased or after injury, surgeons sometimes have to 
prescribe nail powders made with emery powder 
or pumice powder, but these should not be used 
except under professional advice. Before the polish- 
ing is complete the excess of powder should be re- 
moved from under the root and edge of the nail. 

Various refinements are used. The shredded 
common soap may be scented with attar of rose. 
There is a knack in cutting the nails. First, one 
side should be cut, then the other, and last of all 
the center of the free edge; the nails should not 
be cut from side to side, beginning at one side and 
ending at the other, for this prevents the two sides 
being symmetrical. 

The requisites for a perfedt manicure are : ( I ) 
A piece of wood with a flat end to press back the 
skin at the root of the nail. ( 2 ) Scissors, with 
sharp points and curved on the flat, to cut the skin 
at the root of the nail. ( 3 ) A saturated solution 
of tartaric acid in water to soften the skin at the 
root, sides and under the nail. ( Instead of tartaric 
acid, hydrogen peroxide five volumes is an im- 
provement.) (4) A piece of wood, say a match, 
cut to a chisel edge to apply the acid and remove 
the softened skin. 

[192] 




Cora Brown Potter as Juliet. 



THE HANDS 

DAILY CARE OF THE NAILS 

The washing of the hands should always be 
completed by pressing back with the towel the 
delicate selvage-like edge at the root of the nail, 
to display the little white half-moon at its base. 
The greatest mistake in the care of the nails is to 
undermine the selvage with a pointed instrument. 
The pointed stick is to remove the scales of skin 
which grow up with the nail; this is done by 
holding it vertically at right angles to the nail. 
Any dirt at the root of the nails is best removed 
by using a piece of cotton-wool wrapped round a 
match. The selvage edge, named the cuticle by 
manicurists, requires experience and the use of both 
hands to satisfactorily remove it. It is best cut 
when the skin is dry. Only when the skin at the 
root of the nail is cracked should it be trimmed 
away, except by a manicurist, as it leaves a red 
rim round the nail like the edge of an inflamed 
eyelid. 

Trimming the Nails — This is best done after 
washing the hands, when the nails are soft, by par- 
ing with a knife. It is marvelous to see a Chinese 
barber cut both the nail and the skin at the root 
with instruments shaped like fine chisels, and then 
to finish the toilet of the feet by using a similar 
shaped, but broader instrument, to remove the 
thickened skin from the heel, for in China as much 
care is taken of the foot as of the hand. 

The advantage of cutting the nails with a knife 

[*93] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

is that an absolutely clean surface is left, which 
does not require trimming even with emery paper. 

The quickest way to trim the nails is with nail- 
clippers, but their curve does not so well adapt it- 
self to the curve of the nails. Instead of cutting 
the nails, they may be filed daily. This, however, 
is seldom done, except by surgeons, for whom it is 
especially necessary to have nails so trimmed that 
not even the most minute particle of foreign mat- 
ter should lodge in cracks at the edge of the nail, 
which are liable to result from using mercury prep- 
arations for the antiseptic treatment of wounds. 

Polishing the Nails — The best way to polish 
or to complete the polishing of the nails is to bend 
the ringers on to the palm of the hand by bending 
the knuckles and first joint while keeping the last 
joint straight, and to rub briskly the nails on the 
palm of the other hand. This not only polishes 
the nails, but also massages the skin at the root, so 
that the blood supply of the nails is improved and 
the growth of the nail is strengthened; then they 
become smoother, with an absence of ribs and 
ridges, provided always that the skin at the root is 
not undermined. 

Ribbed and Cracked Nails — The nails are 
sure to become ribbed and cracked if the selvage 
at their root is undermined. It is only a question 
of time ; but this condition may also be due to ill- 
ness, and coming from a hot to a cold climate. 

Cracks are less liable to be present if the nails 

[ J 94] 



THE HANDS 

are trimmed only when they are soft, after wash- 
ing, and the best thing is to file them daily instead 
of cutting. 

Ribs on the nails are prevented by massage of 
the skin at the roots of the nails with the palm of 
the other hand; they can only be removed by a 
nail powder such as : ( i ) Oleate of tin two drams, 
pumice powder two drams, essential oil of almonds 
five drops ; or ( 2 ) cinnabar two drams, emery 
powder two drams, oil of lavender five drops. 

The first is indicated if the nails are cracked, 
the second if they are both cracked and thickened. 

Hangnails — If hangnails, troublesome friends, 
form near the root of the nail, or if the selvage 
edge is cracked, they may be stopped from increas- 
ing by cutting when quite dry and by painting the 
skin with flexible collodion, to which a jargonelle 
pear odor is given by ten drops of essence of mir- 
bane to the ounce. This is also an excellent ap- 
plication to prevent chilblains forming on the 
hands or feet. 

MANUAL COSMETICS 

On account of the use of gloves the hands are 
less liable than the face to suffer from the effedt of 
sun; but when they are sunburnt they are bene- 
fitted by the use of the lotions and creams used 
for the face, remembering always that it is advisa- 
ble to begin with a lotion till the susceptibility of 
the skin has been ascertained. 

[19s] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

It therefore remains to consider the methods 
used to whiten the hands, that is to say, manual 
cosmetics and the treatment of red, dry, cracked 
hands, whether due to cold or housework. The 
principal preparations for whitening the hands 
are made with glycerin, camphor and quince 
seed. 

Glycerin — Glycerin is used after washing to 
soften the skin, and before exposure in dry climates 
to prevent the skin becoming rough. 

For the face it is used extremely weak, — five 
drops of glycerin are mixed with half a tumbler 
of water and the face sponged. For the hands a£- 
ter washing, while the hands are still wet, by pour- 
ing a teaspoonful of it into the palm of one hand 
and rubbing the hands over each other ; the hands 
are then dried. 

Glycerin Creams — Many creamy lotions are 
made with glycerin and water, by the addition of 
gum tragacanth, which gives a creamy appearance 
and makes the glycerin stick. The secret of mak- 
ing them, like sulphur lotion, is first to make a 
paste with spirit by rubbing the gum in a dry mor- 
tar or by shaking in a bottle:, and then adding the 
previously mixed glycerin and water. If the scent 
used mixes with water, it is added to the glycerin 
and water ; if it is only soluble in spirit, it is mixed 
with the spirit. 

The best and quickest way is to make the paste 
in a mortar and then add a little water and shake 

[i 9 6] 



THE HANDS 

up the rest in a bottle. The proportions for this 

are: 

Glycerin Cream — 

Tragacanth 20 gr., Rose-geranium Oil 2j^ drops, 
Rectified Spirit y 2 dr., Glycerin *^ oz., Water y 2 oz. 

A nicer scent is made by using rose water in- 
stead of rose-geranium and water. Oatmeal cream 
is made by using ten drops of tindture of benzoin, 
which has a smell not unlike oatmeal. Lily cream 
is made with lily spirit or pomade and half a dram 
to the ounce of zinc oxide to give a lily white 
color. Violet cream is perfumed with ionone and 
colored with anilin blue. 

Glycerin Jellies — Glycerin jellies are excel- 
lent, especially in winter, being used after washing, 
before drying the hands ; and very sparingly before 
going out-of-doors. They are easily made by any 
one acquainted with the almost lost art of making 
jelly for the table. Both table and toilet jellies are 
colored — red with cochineal, and yellow with 
saffron; the difference is that toilet jelly contains 
glycerin and is scented instead of flavored. Their 
appearance is improved by filtering through a jelly- 
bag. 

Glycerin Jelly — 

The gelatin is soaked in water in a jam-pot 
overnight; in the morning glycerin is added, the 
jam-pot placed in a saucepan, and heated till the 
ingredients are quite dissolved. The proportions 
are as follows: 

[ I0 7 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Gelatin i dr., Glycerin 6 dr., Water or Rose Water 
2 dr. 

A few drops of white of egg to each ounce 
clears the jelly; one teaspoonful is sufficient for a 
pint of jelly. 

If the skin is cracked and chapped, thymol 
water is used instead of rose water, or three drops 
of carbolic acid added to each ounce. 

If the cracks are painful less gelatin and glycerin 
and more water are used. 

Thymol Glycerin Jelly — 
Gelatin 20 gr., Glycerin 4 dr., Thymol Water 1 oz. 

Carbolic Glycerin Jelly — 

Gelatin y 2 dr., Water 4 dr., Glycerin 1 oz., Carbolic 
Acid 2]4 drops. 
The best application for chapped and red hands, 
even if the redness has gone as far as chilblains, 
is: 

Borax Glycerin Jelly — 

Gelatin 12^ gr., Glycerin of Borax % oz., Water 
Yz oz. 

The best cure for chilblains of the hands is 
Compound Glycerin of Starch: 

Resorcin 5 gr., Tartaric Acid 5 gr., Menthol 5 gr., 
Glycerin of Starch 1 oz. 

To be smeared on the hands at bedtime and 
when the hands are painful. 

In families where arnica is a favorite remedy it 
is used for chilblains by heating glycerin in a 
saucepan with one teaspoonful of starch to each 

[198] 



THE HANDS 

ounce of glycerin; when dissolved, and before it 
gets cold, a dram of tindture of arnica is added for 
each ounce of glycerin. 

SULPHUR 

One of the best means for softening the hands 
in cold weather is equal quantities of sulphurous 
acid and water, used like glycerin after washing. 

Sodium sulphite is used for both the face and 
hands by wiping them over with the following 
lotion : 

Sodium Sulphite Lotion — 

Borax 5 gr., Sodium Sulphite 10 gr., Glycerin 20 
drops, Rose Water 1 oz. 

CAMPHOR 

An excellent stimulant for the circulation in the 
hands, which prevents the skin becoming dry and 
cracked. For this purpose it must be used very 
weak. 

Camphor Ointment — 
Camphor 10 gr., Glycerin 10 drops, Lard 1 oz. 

When chaps are present stronger preparations of 
camphor are required. They are known under 
the name of camphor cream, ointment, ball or ice : 

Camphor Ice — 

Camphor 2 dr., Solid Paraffin 5 dr., Soft White 
Paraffin 1 oz. 

This is a solid preparation for rubbing on the 
hands at bedtime and after washing. 

[*99] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Camphor Ball — 

These preparations are called camphor ball be- 
cause they are firm ointments, and are made like 
ointments by melting the wax and oil, to which 
the camphor is added. 

Strong Camphor Ball — 

White Wax i dr., Spermaceti 4 dr., Olive-oil 5 
dr., Camphor 3 dr. 

Weak Camphor Ball — 

White Wax 2 dr., Lard 2 dr., Almond-oil 2 dr., 
Spermaceti 1 y 2 dr., Camphor 1 y 2 dr. 

The first is indicated when the skin is very dry 

and extensively cracked ; the second, weaker, when 

the skin is only moderately dry or when there are 

few but deep cracks, which would smart if the 

stronger preparation were used. 

QUINCE-SEED 

Preparations enjoy an extensive vogue on the con- 
tinent of Europe for whitening both the hands and 
face, replacing the cucumber, rose and other creams 
used in the British Isles. 

The advantage of the quince-seed preparations 
is that they are easily made and soften the skin, 
without being sticky like other mucilages, or greasy 
like ointments; the disadvantage is that they do 
not keep for more than one month. 

Mucilage of quince seed is made by soaking the 
seeds in water. In France the official preparation 
is made with one part of the seed in ten of water, 

[ 200] 



THE HANDS 

the mucilage being mixed with water when re- 
quired for use. In the Belgian and Portuguese of- 
ficial preparations one part of seed is used for one 
hundred of water, the mucilage being applied un- 
diluted to the skin. 

Quince Lotion — This is made by putting four 
drams of bruised quince seed into one pint of 
water, simmering, with occasional stirring, till it is 
reduced to half a pint, strain and add four ounces 
of glycerin and scent if desired. There is no bet- 
ter preparation for whitening the hands; a little 
is smeared on after washing ; some, however, use it 
in place of washing with soap and water; all ex- 
cess is wiped off and the hands dried. 

Quince Creams — These are used as toilet 
creams, usually at bedtime, and are very comfort- 
ing after exposure to a hot sun. Sufficient to just 
moisten the skin is applied with a soft rag. 

One is made by mixing one dram of cold cream 
with an equal quantity of almond-oil; add, with 
constant stirring, one ounce of quince lotion in a 
pint of water. 

An excellent cream for sunburn is made by 
simmering three drams of bruised quince seed in 
a pint of water till a jelly is formed; strain and 
add three drams of ammonium chloride. As this 
last is not particularly pleasant smelling, a perfume 
is required, as half a dram of oil of sweet orange. 

Decoction of Quince Seed — An excellent 
application for cracked, red skin of the hands and 

[201] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

face, including the eyelids, is made by boiling two 
drams of quince seed in a pint of water for ten 
minutes and straining. 

DECOLORIZATION OF THE SKIN 

All parts of the body from the scalp to the feet 
are liable to lose their natural pigment and to be- 
come colorless. Natives of hot climates, especially 
those whose raiment is scant, may become piebald ; 
indeed, the great majority of the members of one 
tribe in New Guinea are this color, — some are 
quite flesh-colored like Europeans, and have light 
hair. These piebald people do not feel any ill^ 
efFedts and are not shunned by their neighbors, 
whose life they share in every resped:. In cool 
climates and among Europeans resident in the 
tropics the same occurs, but is not very noticeable, 
because there is but little difference between the 
skin that is slightly colored and the patches where 
there is no color at all. 

Besides, the hands and the face are the only 
parts exposed to the sun and to public gaze, but 
residents in districts where leprosy is rife are often 
alarmed and, indeed, shunned when any part of 
the skin is seen to be white and when the hair 
growing from these patches is white. 

It is quite natural for the skin and hair to be- 
come white in patches, even in persons who enjoy 
perfedt health. 

The reason for the colorless patches being looked 

[202] 



THE HANDS 

upon as early signs of leprosy is the mistranslation 
and misapprehension of the story of Naaman and 
Gehazi, in the fifth chapter of the Second Book 
of Kings. Naaman had the itch, which was rec- 
ognized by his Jewish servant, at whose recom- 
mendation he visited the prophet, who did not 
come out or shake hands with him; in faft, pru- 
dently kept him at a distance, and refused to apply 
massage, or as the literal Hebrew says, to "move 
his hand up and down over the place. " Gehazi, 
being less wise, took two changes of clothes, and 
the itch in due time showed itself, and the prophet 
asked whence he got it. Gehazi went out "as 
snow," that is to say, white with fear and a guilty 
conscience, not with leprosy ; for those with white 
patches can rest assured that their condition is 
natural and not due to leprosy, which does not make 
the skin white. 

CHAPPED HANDS 

The prevention of chapped hands by the use of 
glycerin, camphor and sulphurous acid has been al- 
ready described. 

When the hands are chapped their cure is 
effedted by the use of weak glycerin lotions and 
ointments. 

( i ) Glycerin 2 dr., Rose Water 1 oz. 
( 2 ) Glycerin 2 dr., Orange-flower Water 3 dr., Rose 
Water 3 dr. 

These, in accordance with tradition, are made 

[ 2 °3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

rose red with cochineal. It is best to begin with 
the first weaker lotion, which, if it causes any 
smarting, can be diluted with water. The lotions 
should be applied every time the hands are put in 
water and at bedtime. 

If the hands, besides being cracked, are also 
swollen and tender, their appearance is improved 
by using: 

Borax Glycerin Lotion — 
Glycerite of Borax 2 dr., Rose Water 6 dr. 

At night it is best to use a creamy or moderately 
thick ointment such as: 

Boric Acid Cream — 

Glycerite of Boric Acid 6 dr., Watery Wool Fat 6 
dr., Soft Paraffin i oz. 

Chapped hands should be kept out of water as 
much as possible. Instead of using soap the hands 
can be kept clean by yolk of egg, oatmeal and 
water or by one of the creams containing soap 
used for the face, or one containing both soap and 
glycerin, as: 

Benzoated Soap Lotion — 

Benzoic Acid 5 gr., Curd Soap 1 5 gr., Glycerite of 
boroglycerin 2 dr., Rose Water to make 1 oz. 

If the hands are soiled an excellent cleanser is 
found in Lemon Soap, made by shredding three 
ounces of soap into one ounce of lemon-juice and 
four ounces of water, and heating near the fire. 

If it is necessary to put the hands in water, they 
should be thoroughly dried after, and the follow- 

[204] 



THE HANDS 

ing ointment used before and after they are put in 
water : 

Lanolin Cream — 

Watery Wool Fat 2^£ dr., Soft Paraffin 2^ dr., 
Glycerite of Starch to make i oz. 

Hazel Cream is used as a cold cream, and has 
slight healing properties. Its composition resembles 
Lanolin Cream, the glycerite of starch being re- 
placed by the same amount of solution of hama- 
melis. 



[205] 



Chapter IX 

THE FEET 

TREATMENT IN THE EAST 

It is in the treatment of the feet that the East 
has long attained its greatest perfection in details 
of health. It is from the care of the feet in the 
East that the art of the manicurist has penetrated 
the West. For, as should be the case, as much 
care is devoted to the feet as to the hands, but as 
it is easier for the owner to tend the hands than 
the feet, the care of the feet is shared with the 
barber and the shampooer. In China the scales of 
skin that cover the lower part of the nail are 
chiseled back and then cut off with an instrument 
which was the model for the cuticle knife of the 
manicurist ; then the nail is cut, not pointed as are 
the finger-nails, but straight across, an instrument 
with a chisel-edge being used. Finally, the Chinese 
barber completes the foot toilet by paring down, 
with a chisel-shaped instrument with an edge one 
inch broad, the thickened skin from the heel and 
sole, without using any fluid to render the work 
more easy, relying entirely on delicacy of touch. 
In no point does the standard of the East differ 
from that of the West more than in the regard 
paid to the feet ; nothing has caused more diplo- 

[206] 



THE FEET 

matic fridtion than the ceremonial relating to foot- 
wear. 

The European considers it a mark of humilia- 
tion to appear unshod at an official ceremony, 
whereas in the East it is looked upon as a matter 
of cleanliness; so that on entering a temple the 
shoes are removed that no dirt may be carried in, 
and, as a greater precaution, the feet are washed. 

To require the removal of boots is not any 
humiliation to the European; to insist on wear- 
ing them is an insult to the Easterner, as it means 
to require them to walk barefoot on carpets where 
the dust of the street has been carried. It is true 
that in China the cult of the feet has been carried 
to excess, yet that is no reason for not accepting 
what is good, for it is easy to rejedt what is un- 
suitable. 

Though all cannot attain to the eastern test of 
elegance, which is an instep so arched that water 
flows under it, yet all may have symmetrically 
shaped toes and rosy nails. 

In sultry climates, shoes are the natural and 
most comfortable foot-gear. Cavalry and sports- 
men may have to wear top-boots, but that in no 
way invalidates my opinion that for comfort and 
health shoes should be worn as much as possible, 
consistent with the fadt that mosquitoes and other 
inserts have a partiality for the tender skin of the 
ankles, which can be protected by canvas boots. 

A mistake is sometimes made in having the 

[207] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

boot strengthened by leather, as in cricket shoes; 
even if white leather boots or shoes are used no 
protection by colored leather is required, except 
for the toe-cap. 

Military authorities know that an army goes on 
its feet, and that the first, second and third most 
important things for a soldier are boots, and it is 
stated that there is hardly any army which devotes 
such care to the feet as the Japanese, for which 
much of their success in the Russo-Japanese war 
was due. 

CORNS 

Some may think that the subjed: of corns is 
trivial, that their cause is too tight boots; this, 
however, is by no means the case, for those too 
large as well as those too tight can produce corns; 
besides, corns on the feet, like warts on the hands, 
may grow without any evident cause. A corn is 
a thickening over a small area of the horny layer 
of the skin, which, after a time, grows down and 
presses on the tender nerve-bearing deeper part; 
this in its turn becomes thickened and grows up. 
A wart is a growing-up of the deeper part, but as 
they are not pressed on, they are not tender except 
when knocked, yet they bleed readily. Bunions 
are deeper placed than corns; they are either 
fluid-containing spaces near the joints which they 
protect from pressure, or are outgrowths of bone 
near or in the joints caused by pressure or irrita- 

[208] 



THE FEET 

tion, as in the gouty old gentleman who may 
never have worn a tight boot in his life. They can 
be relieved by specially made boots and protected 
by plasters, but can only be removed by surgical 
means. 

Treatment of Corns — A corn, which is 
usually circular in shape, consists at the outside of 
thickened horny layer only, whereas in the center 
there is besides an upgrowth of sensitive deeper 
skin. The skill of the chiropodist consists in re- 
moving the horny layer without hurting the tender 
part below and mixed with it, and without injur- 
ing the tuft of warty outgrowth which is inter- 
laced with the horny layer like the fingers when 
clasped together. 

If a young, recently formed corn is cut so that 
the center only is removed, pressure is taken off 
the central tender part; this no longer causes an 
excess of horny layer to form and the corn is 
permanently cured, because, when the outer ring 
of the corn is left, this relieves the center and pro- 
tedts it from pressure. A circular corn plaster ads 
in the same way. 

The ideal way to cure a corn of any duration 
is to have it cut by a chiropodist; the only disad- 
vantage of this is that, unless the tender skin under 
it is treated, the corn recurs, and requires continual 
cutting till the skin returns to a healthy state. 
This return is more quickly attained by wearing 
loose boots and having all pressure removed by a 

[209] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

piece of ordinary plaster put across the toe, beyond 
the site of the corn, or by a circular corn plaster 
round the spot where the corn has been. A 
straight piece of plaster, nearer the toe-nail than 
where the corn has been, is best, because it takes 
off all pressure and does not cause blood to colled:, 
as a circular plaster does. The usual and best way 
of getting rid of corns is to soak the feet in warm 
water and remove as much of the corn as possible 
with a knife, razor or pin, not too fine — a gold 
pin does very well. Then apply twenty grains of 
salicylic acid, one dram tin&ure of cannabis indica, 
ten grains of chloride of zinc, mixed with one 
ounce of flexible collodion. The salicylic acid 
softens the horny layers, the cannabis indica dulls 
the nerves of the upgrowing skin, the chloride of 
zinc prevents any germs entering, the flexible col- 
lodion binds them all together. This should be 
applied nightly, or better still, both night and 
morning, for five days; the feet are again soaked 
in warm water to soften the horny layer, and as 
much as possible removed from the center or 
centers, as two or more small corns may unite to 
form a large one, leaving as much as possible of 
the outside skin to remove pressure from the centers 
unless protecting plaster is continually worn. 

After all pain has gone, showing the warty con- 
dition of the skin is no longer present, this should 
be further protected by wearing any plaster which 
sticks well — the thinner it is the better, — any 

[210] 



THE FEET 

tendency to renewed growth of horny layer being 
counteracted by rubbing the site of the corn with 
pumice-stone. 

Quick corn cures are made with plaster con- 
taining india rubber, which sticks to and removes 
the horny layer. If they are used, they remove 
this layer from the outside of the corn and allow 
pressure to come on the central tender part; their 
use is at a late stage to avoid the necessity of using 
pumice-stone. 

It may be said that this procedure is long and 
elaborate, but it results in permanent cure ; it may 
be shortened by a surgeon applying nitric acid or 
acid nitrate of mercury to the tender part after 
rendering it insensitive ; lunar caustic — solid nitrate 
of silver — is more painful and less efficient. 

Soft Corns — In places where there is moisture, 
as between the toes, the thickened horny layer, 
instead of becoming hard, remains soft. This con- 
dition is much more easy to cure, as the warty 
condition is usually absent, by painting the part 
with solution of subacetate of lead and separating 
the parts by a piece of white kid glove. The alum 
used in tanning this hardens the skin. A tendency 
to soft corns and tender feet is prevented by putting 
between the toes a piece of cotton-wool smeared 
with "Japanese Gelatin Cream and rubbing some of 
the cream over the feet. This is made by dissolv- 
ing one dram of agar-agar in five ounces of water ; 
mix in a water-bath four drams of stearic acid, 

[an] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

three of sodium carbonate, with three ounces of 
water ; when these are completely mixed add cocoa- 
butter four drams and the solution of agar-agar; 
beat well up. 

From this a more cooling and mildly healing 
Witch-hazel Cream, for any part of the body, is 
made by the addition of ten ounces of solution of 
witch-hazel. 

Corns Under the Nails — Corns under the 
nails, nearly always of the big toe, are caused by 
injury from pressure of the boot, or a knock, or 
something falling on the nails and causing a slight 
bleeding under them, so that when the nail is cut 
down there is found to be a brown color from the 
old blood which was not noticed at the time of 
the injury. In all corns under the hoofs of horses 
there is always discoloration from bleeding. For- 
tunately corns in this position have little tendency 
to return. 

INGROWN TOE-NAILS 

By ingrowing of the toe-nails is meant that the 
skin grows over the side of the nails. This results 
from the toe-nail not being cut with a straight 
edge at right angles to the toe, so that the nail is 
driven into the skin at the side. That this is 
so any one can see by bending down a curved 
finger-nail, when it will be seen to bulge at the 
side. 

Sometimes the ingrowing skin at the side of the 

[212] 



THE FEET 

nail is a corn, the horny layer growing partly 
under and partly over the nail. 

Their treatment consists in cutting the nail 
straight or, better still, concave, removing as much 
as possible of the skin at the side of the nail and 
pressing with a pin a piece of cotton-wool under 
the skin. 

CHILBLAINS 

Are caused by feeble circulation of blood and most 
commonly affed: the feet, which are more distant 
from the center of circulation, namely, the heart. 
They also cause much pain when the hands and 
ears are the seat of this trouble. 

As soon as the toes are at all red and painful, the 
treatment should be started by applying a stimu- 
lating liniment, being careful to rub upward 
toward the knee to assist the return of blood to 
the heart. The best remedy is a home-made one 
of an ounce of vinegar and half an ounce of tur- 
pentine, into which one egg is mixed. This may 
be made stronger by adding a teaspoonful of solu- 
tion of ammonia, or two teaspoonfuls of household 
toilet cloudy ammonia or of sal volatile. This 
should be used every night as long as any, even 
the slightest, pain is felt in the part. 

It is advisable to wear sleeping-socks and to have 
the bed warmed from top to bottom with a warm- 
ing-pan or by a hot-water bottle, which an hour 
before bedtime is placed between the sheets at the 

[ 2I 3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

top of the bed, and in half an hour's time it 
should be placed in the center of the bed, and on 
getting into bed the bottle should be pushed to the 
bottom. 

The best chemist-made liniment consists of 
equal parts of soap liniment and camphor liniment. 
Also painting with tindture of iodine for a few- 
nights prevents their coming, provided the skin is 
not broken. 

If the skin is broken, the part should be covered 
with lint dipped in two drams of weak subacetate 
of lead lotion and three drams of oil; or a heal- 
ing ointment — boric acid ointment is a favorite — '- 
should be spread on lint or fine calico and fastened 
on. 

Chilblains are partly due to the state of the 
blood, which is improved by laftate of lime, twenty 
grains, mucilage of tragacanth half a dram, syrup of 
lemons half a dram, syrup of orange twenty drops, 
and chloroform water one ounce; this is the dose 
for an adult, half the quantity for children from 
the age of eight to thirteen. 

As soon as possible after all signs of chilblains 
have gone it is desirable to give an iron prepara- 
tion, of which for this purpose none is better than 
Compound Syrup of Phosphate of Iron. At the same 
time it is desirable to take some form of oil, e.g., 
cod-liver oil, olive-oil or soft paraffin. 

The occurrence of chilblains is an indication 
that during the next summer the morning tub 

[214] 



THE FEET 

should be taken cold, and continued so, during 
the autumn as long as consistent with comfort. 

TENDER FEET 

Excessive moisture of the feet causes the horny 
layer to be sodden, which may press on the tender, 
sensitive layer. The horny layer may be thick and 
then moist and sodden, or excess of moisture may 
be present with unthickened horny layer. The 
excess of moisture may be due to lessened sweat- 
ing of the body, so that there is more poured out 
through the skin of the feet. In other cases more 
perspiration is poured out by every part of the 
skin, including the feet, where the wearing of 
leather boots prevents its ready evaporation. 

When the skin is unusually dry and there is ex- 
cessive moisture of the feet, this is often due to 
defe&ive circulation, so that more fluid passes from 
the most dependent part of the body, /. e. y the feet. 

In dealing with this condition, the first thing to 
be aimed at is to remove all excess of horny layer 
from the feet by the use of soap and water, followed 
by pumice-stone or loofah. This should be done 
at night. In the morning the inside of fresh stock- 
ings should be sprinkled with a foot powder. Ex- 
cellent ones are: 

( i ) Boric Acid 2 dr., Zinc Oxide 2 dr., Starch 4 dr. 
( 2 ) Salicylic Acid % dr., Calamine y 2 dr., Boric 

Acid 1 dr., Fuller's Earth 1 dr., Talc 2 dr., 

Starch 3 dr. 

[215] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

The powder used by the Japanese Army con- 
sists of salicylic acid 3 drams, starch 10 drams, 
talc 87 drams. 

The best perfume is ten drops of oil of eucalyp- 
tus and ten of rose-geranium. 

If the horny layer does not feel thickened, but 
is hot and tender, the best application is half a 
dram of chromic acid to the ounce of water to be 
applied in the morning. 

If the feet feel cold, a stimulating ointment, as 
camphor half a dram, turpentine one dram and 
zinc ointment to an ounce, will relieve this con- 
dition. 

PRICKLY HEAT 

Prickly heat is the term used in hot countries 
for any irritation of the skin. Many suffer on 
board ship as soon as the weather is hot enough 
to induce dabbling in the salt water when decks 
are being washed down, or even from the use of 
salt-water baths. This is cured by calamine lotion 
dabbed on the part or poured into the stockings, 
slippers or shoes being worn instead of boots. The 
lotion is made with calamine and zinc oxide — a 
dram of each in one ounce of water. If the feet 
are moist or very tender, the lotion should be 
mixed with an equal quantity of water, or the 
following used: 

Calamine 30 gr., Zinc Oxide 15 gr., Glycerin 15 
drops, Rose Water 1 oz. 

[216] 



THE FEET 

If there is but little redness and no discharge of 
moisture after the lotion has been used, apply 
Calamine Ointment , containing half a dram of cala- 
mine in an ounce of lard or soft paraffin. The 
strength should be increased to a dram to the 
ounce for as long as possible before boots are again 
worn, even if they are canvas boots. The risk of 
blisters on the feet is much lessened by smearing 
them with an ounce of olive-oil and one dram of 
watery wool fat. 

Prickly heat is also due to irritability of the oil 
glands of the skin; this occurs in a dry climate; 
and also to swelling of the cells of the horny layer 
blocking the sweat-du&s. This is met with more 
in moist climates, and is relieved by spirit lotion 
to harden the horny layer. 

When only limited areas are afFedted, an excel- 
lent Prickly Heat Lotion is : 

Carbolic Acid 5 drops, Boric Acid 10 gr., Zinc 
Oxide 15 gr., Glycerin 20 drops, Alcohol 20 
drops, Water to make 1 oz. 

For the irritation, the whole body should be 
washed and sponged over with a saturated solution 
of boric acid in water, diluted with an equal 
quantity of water when used. An excellent prep- 
aration is: 

Menthol 5 gr., Carbolic Acid 5 drops, Glycerin 10 
drops, Rectified Spirit 1 dr., Water 1 oz. 

The affe&ed part and the moist areas, armpits and 

groins should be dusted with a powder consisting 

[217] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

of boric acid one part, zinc oxide two, starch four 
parts. When little moisture is present a useful 
dusting powder is: Carbonate of magnesia mixed 
with equal quantities of starch and boric acid. 

When prickly heat is present, or likely to occur 
when the weather becomes more hot or damp, no 
soap should be used in the bath. It is less than 
ever necessary, as two or three shower-baths may 
be taken in the course of twenty-four hours. 

As little fluid as possible should be drunk, ex- 
posure to hot sun avoided, and soft, well-washed 
and often-changed clothes worn. Three grains of 
calomel at bedtime and a saline in the morning 
give marked relief. 

Besides interfering with comfort during the day 
and rest at night, too much attention cannot be 
paid to prickly heat, as it is the first step on the 
road to boils which in hot climates are very 
weakening and a serious menace to health. 

SORES ON THE FEET 

When, in the tropics, sores, even the smallest, 
form of themselves on the feet, not due to insed: 
bites or injury, they indicate serious impairment of 
health and strongly suggest the necessity of a 
change of climate. 

BLISTERS 

These are prevented by smearing the feet and 
inside of the stockings with Japanese Cream, made 

[218] 



THE FEET 

by dissolving five grains of agar-agar, a seaweed, in an 
ounce of water, adding half a dram of stearic acid, 
twenty grains of sodium carbonate, half a dram of 
theobroma-oil and half a dram of rectified spirit, 
scenting with two drops of lemon-oil. If this is 
not procurable, then use soap as a substitute. 
When blisters have formed, they should be pricked 
and painted with a saturated solution of perman- 
ganate of potash. 

THE ANKLE AND INSTEP 

An ered: and graceful carriage largely depends 
upon the ankle and instep, as movements take place 
in these joints with every step in walking, running 
and dancing; and though the joints are smaller 
than those of the hip and knee, yet they have to 
bear the whole weight of the body, and it is, there- 
fore, not surprising that they frequently show signs 
of weakness. The effect of wearing boots is to 
give support to the ankle, but too tight boots 
hamper free movement at the ankle and interfere 
still more with the delicate movements of the in- 
step. Consequently, for dancing and running, shoes 
are worn. At the ankle the foot only moves up 
and down, and weakness may effedt either the in- 
ner or outer ankle ; whichever one is most affedted 
becomes more prominent and the foot is thrown to 
the opposite side. The result is that more weight 
is thrown to one side and the heel of the boot is 
worn down on that side, so that, before either 

[219] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

weakness or pain is felt, the state of the boot shows 
that it is time to dired: special attention to the 
ankles, unless the wearing away is due to bow 
legs. 

The instep is an arch like the arch of a bridge, 
and is itself made up of smaller arches, some of 
which pass from before backward, and others 
from side to side. When the arch going from 
back to front gives way, the foot becomes flat, 
and more of the inner side touches the ground; 
this flattening of the foot may make considerable 
progress before pain is felt. When a transverse 
arch gives way pain may be felt before any change 
in the shape of the foot can be noticed. 

The arches of the foot differ from those of a 
bridge in being elastic and not rigid and in being 
composed of living tissue. 

In addition to being elastic, like the springs of 
a carriage, they give elasticity to the tread and 
lessen the jar on alighting on the feet in jumping 
and every time the foot is planted on the ground 
and raised from it with each step in walking. 

Supporting the Ankle and Instep — When- 
ever the ankles, insteps or feet are tender and pain- 
ful from standing or walking, additional support 
can be given by bandaging them with linen, cot- 
ton or crepe bandage. Bandaging should extend 
from the lower part of the instep, leaving out the 
toes, and should continue upward two inches above 
the part where an ordinary lace boot reaches. 

[ 220] 



THE FEET 

This will allow the muscles of the calf free aftion 
and will not cramp the toes, while the spring and 
elasticity of the foot are increased. 

The benefits of bandaging are well known to 
grooms, who apply it continually to the legs of 
horses; runners and football players know the 
comfort that bandaging the feet gives; while nav- 
vies and others bandage the wrists. 

The advantage of continually bandaging the feet 
of growing girls is well known to the Chinese, 
but is carried to excess. They have long known 
that bandaging the feet is comforting to tender, 
weak ankles, and draw the incorredt conclusion 
that bandaging makes the ankles slim. In the 
course of time the bandage has been made tighter 
and tighter and applied at an earlier age, with the 
result that, while the joints are strengthened, the 
blood supply and development of the bones are in- 
terfered with. 

Methods of Bandaging — The bandage should 
be used lightly, not pulled tight. It should be com- 
menced on the outside and brought up on the in- 
side. Let the reader sit with the toes pointing 
toward the face of a clock, then when bandaging 
the right foot the bandage should be wound in 
the direction taken by the hands of the clock. 
Bandaging the left foot should be done, counter- 
clockwise, /. e. y in the opposite direction to the 
way the hands of the clock move. 

One can be certain that the bandage is not too 

[221] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

tight if it does not cause pain and does not cause 
alteration in color of the exposed toes. 

The bandages should be worn continually for 
three or four days, except when having a bath, 
and renewed as often as the old ones feel uncom- 
fortable or are too loose. 

Treatment of Flat Feet and Tender 
Ankles — If pain is present, the treatment should 
be commenced by bathing them in hot water at 
night, wiping them dry and then massaging them 
first with the hands for two nights, and then with 
a liniment ( the one used to prevent chilblains, p r 
2 1 4 ) , or the following : 

White Liniment — 

Strong Solution of Ammonia 10 drops, Turpentine 
20 drops, Linseed-oil 1 oz. 

Every morning the feet should be bathed in cold 
water or put under the cold tap when having the 
morning bath. 

When the feet have been massaged for a week, 
if there is still any pain, water bandages should be 
worn, that is to say, the bandages should be kept 
continually moist with water. Afterward, the 
bandages need only be worn at night, till the feet 
become accustomed to them. 

MASSAGE OF THE FEET 

Massage of the feet should be done with the 
feet raised, not when they are resting on the 
ground. 

[ 222 ] 



THE FEET 

Three varieties of movements are made when 
applying fridtion to the foot, as to all other joints. 

First, the hands are moved upward one after 
the other, so that the rubbing helps the raising of 
the feet to drive the blood upward that fresh blood 
may flow in. 

Secondly, the hand should be moved circularly 
from side to side, beginning near the toes and con- 
tinuing to the middle of the calf. 

Thirdly, the palm of the hand and tips of the 
fingers should be moved circularly as if trying to 
dig a hole into the skin. 

MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF 
FLAT FEET 

To strengthen the arch of the foot, cork is 
sometimes put into the boot, or an iron plate is 
worn. These have the disadvantage that they sup- 
port the center of the arch, but do not help the 
pillars or sides, and they should not be worn except 
on the advice of a surgeon. 

HIGH HEELS 

The use of the heels in boots and in the shoer 
of horses is to give firmness to the tread. When 
of proper height they prevent jarring of the body 
when the foot is planted on the ground, — a suita- 
ble height, being one that gives a firm tread, and 
allows, if it does not compel, an eredt, graceful 
pose of the body. 

[ 22 3] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

Much harm results from a heel placed too far 
back and not extending far enough forward, so 
that in walking undue weight is thrown on the 
front of the foot, with the result that the elasticity 
of the tread is thrown on the front of the foot; 
and instead of the walk being a graceful, gliding 
motion from the time the heel is planted till the 
toe leaves the ground, there is no elasticity when 
the heel comes down, but there is instead a jerk or 
spring at the end of the step as the body rises on 
the toes. 

One disadvantage of high heels is that they de- 
mand such a rigid pose that it interferes with the 
best use of the voice for adting, reciting and sing- 
ing. 



[224] 



Chapter X 

THE TORSO 

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 
HUMAN TORSO 

Among all animals, looked at merely from the 
zoologist's point of view, we are unique. Our ere<S 
posture and fully extended legs, our freely hanging 
arms and wonderfully subtle and dexterous hands, 
our heads delicately poised on the summit of the 
spinal column, are all of them absolutely human 
characteristics, being nowhere reproduced, or even 
copied, in the whole of the animal kingdom. 
But in no respedt is the difference between the 
brute and the human creation more marked or 
startingly apparent than in the configuration of our 
bodies (as distinguished from our limbs), or, as it 
is termed by artists — our torso. 

The human torso is noted for its breadth. We 
measure far more from side to side than from front 
to back, while the breadth and flatness of our 
shoulders increase this appearance enormously. If 
one merely glances at any quadruped, it will be 
noticed that the configuration of the body is the 
exad: opposite of the human form. With them 
the front to back diameter, that is the diameter of 
the body measured from the breast bone to the 

[225] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

back, far exceeds that taken from side to side. 
Their narrow bodies look almost as if they were 
hung from the backbone in very much the same 
way as clothes are hung by the washerwoman from 
a line. In most monkeys the two diameters are 
nearly equal. 

This gives us the key to the whole position. 
The flattening of our torso depends on our eredt 
posture. 

In the lower animals the weight of the body is 
slung from the backbone, or, as it is called, the 
spinal column, which in turn is supported by the 
four legs, so that the very weight of the animal 
tends to produce the narrow-chested appearance 
with which we are all so familiar. We, however, 
are quite different; our backbone is vertical, and 
supported only at its lower end. Ever-resourceful 
Nature, therefore, flattens and broadens our torso 
so as to make it surround as far as possible the 
spinal column and distribute its weight evenly 
around the point of support. Without this modi- 
fication in the architecture of our bodies we would 
constantly tend to fall forward. That this is so 
any one can see for himself; the difficulty that a 
performing dog has of balancing himself on his 
hind legs, the tendency that monkeys have of 
grasping some branch or bar to support themselves, 
must be apparent to the most casual observer. 

The upright position has made us lords of crea- 
tion, it has made us rulers of the world, it is the 

[226] 



THE TORSO 

great, prime difference which divides us, the im- 
passable barrier which separates us from the vast 
throng of living creatures which form what we 
term the brute creation. All our power, all our 
skill and dexterity, all our great discoveries and 
inventions are but the result of being able to stand 
upright. For it is manifest that the development 
of all the skill and cunning of our hands is due to 
the fad: that they are not used for the purposes of 
locomotion, while it is possible, nay, probable, that 
the skill and cunning of our brain is secondary to 
that of our hands ; that the hand teaches the brain 
as much, or perhaps more, than the brain teaches 
the hand. But this is not the place to discuss such 
abstruse questions. 

Although we have gained so much from our 
ereft posture, yet it is not altogether an unmixed 
good; it has been a much more difficult problem 
to build a creature suitable and fitted for the up- 
right posture than to design one for the prone 
position. We cannot but marvel at the skill and 
ingenuity of Nature in overcoming these difficul- 
ties, but I believe that those who know most about 
this subjed: admit that even she has not in all cases 
completely overcome them, and that we suffer here 
and there from slight weaknesses which result 
from this, thus paying the penalty of our position. 

It is here that our art comes in. No one can 
drive or force Nature; we can only conquer by 
obeying and assisting her. 

[227] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

BINDING AND LACING 

The most important question in relation to the 
torso, and one that we all need information on, is 
the question of tight lacing or binding. Personally, 
I believe that if one laces in the proper way it is 
harmless, nay more, it is supporting and thereby 
strengthening. I have always laced tightly — the 
parts I have played necessitated it — and I found it 
also helped in creating volume of the voice, how, 
I shall explain later. I accordingly maintain that 
binding by means of properly made and adjusted 
stays is of advantage to our health and of assistance, 
to us in our work, besides creating a curve con- 
forming with the lines of beauty. 

We have constantly heard of the great evils of 
binding. I here take up the cudgels in favor of it, 
and for the benefit of my readers give not only my 
own personal experience, but many fadts of un- 
doubted value which I have fortunately been able 
to glean here and there in my wanderings all over 
the world. These have lately been strikingly can*- 
firmed in conversation with some scientific friends 
of mine. 

There is a wide-spread feeling among the various 
nations of the earth that it is advantageous to bind 
the waist; this may be fairly taken as evidence 
that people scattered over all continents and living 
in every clime have found that binding was neces- 
sary for health, and that the support so given to 
the muscles of the body prevented largely the 

[228] 



THE TORSO 

oncoming of fatigue and relaxation of the part. In 
hot climates this binding generally takes the form 
of a long roll of linen or calico, which is wound 
round and round the waist, and then one end of it is 
thrown over the shoulder. Examples of this form 
of dress are to be found in the sarong of the Malay 
Peninsula, the Sulu of the Pacific Islands, and the 
surah of India ; while the cummerbund also serves 
the same function. 

It may be of interest here to note that in our 
own British Islands we have a modification of this 
very wide-spread form of dress. The kilt and plaid 
of the Highlander were originally made in one 
piece, being at first a strip wound round the body 
and then thrown over the shoulder; in fad;, to 
this day some of the poorer cotters wear this form 
of garment. Later, this long strip was divided into 
two, forming the kilt and plaid as usually worn 
today. In the Highland dress, too, we have another 
extremely interesting and ancient relic — the spor- 
ran. An apron was probably the first article of 
clothing ever worn by primitive man, though 
opinions may differ as to whether it was first made 
of fig leaves or of some other material. So our 
Highland friends are clad, not only in a most 
pidluresque and beautiful garb, but also in one that 
must command our veneration on account of its 
extreme antiquity, and one that is of absorbing in- 
terest to the ethnologist and to the student of uni- 
versal history. 

[229 J 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

But to return to our subject. Binding is com- 
mon among most of the nations of the tropics; 
we find also that the custom has spread in some 
measure to the cooler regions, as, for example, to 
the shores of the Mediterranean, where sailors and 
fishermen wear long, broad scarfs round their 
waists ; this is in some' small degree, doubtless, for 
the sake of appearance, but the real cause is for 
the support the broad band gives. Further north 
we find that a belt is only worn by those who wish 
to have their arms free and unhampered by braces, 
that is, by athletes and those engaged in manual 
labor. These wear only a narrow leather belt, 
which cannot support the body in the same way 
that a broad one does. 

So we see that as a general rule binding is the 
custom among both sexes in tropical and most 
subtropical regions, while among the gentle sex it 
is the universal custom. This latter is so well 
known that I have hardly thought it necessary to 
dwell on it at any length. 

It is interesting to note that braces were evolved 
from the "points/' with which, in the Middle 
Ages, the hosen were tied to the tunic, thus sus- 
pending their weight from the shoulders. The 
greater muscular strength and aftivity of men in 
the cold climates has probably rendered binding 
unnecessary for them, and accordingly this fashion 
has been crystallized by custom, though one can- 
not help thinking that many of the sterner sex we 

[230] 



THE TORSO 

sec daily in the streets of every large city would 
look and feel much better if they followed the 
example of their lady friends in this matter. 

Now since it is the custom of all nations to 
bind the waist, and especially since this custom is 
one which took its origin in the dim, misty dawn 
of civilization ages and ages ago, there must have 
been some reason for it, some pressing need which 
it has supplied, some defect it has overcome. 

I have said that the erect posture was not an 
unmixed good, and that it gave rise to certain de- 
fects and weaknesses in the architecture of our 
bodies. One of the greatest of these is to be found 
in the circulation of the blood. Every one knows 
that the heart pumps the blood into the arteries, 
which convey it all over the body, and that it re- 
turns again to the heart by means of the veins. 
When the blood is in the arteries it is under great 
pressure, being driven ever onward by the strength 
and force of the heart-beats ; when, however, it is 
in the veins it is under little or no pressure, the 
force of the heart-beat no longer reaches it, and 
there is but little to drive it back to the heart, so 
there is a tendency for it to stagnate in the veins. 
This is one of the causes, if not the great cause, 
of varicose veins. The heart pumps some of the 
blood to the lower limbs ; there is nothing to drive 
it uphill to the heart again ; the result is that it re- 
mains in the veins of the legs and distends them, 
producing that well-known condition. Most of 

[ 2 3i] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

us know that this condition can be cured, or at 
least alleviated, by the pressure of an elastic stock- 
ing or bandage. 

Now exactly the same thing happens in the ab- 
domen. There lie many great veins, all conduct- 
ing the blood upward toward the heart. They 
need to be supported by a belt or stay, or the blood 
will stagnate in them and not return in proper 
quantity to the heart. This is one of the great 
reasons why stays and binding ever have and ever 
will be extensively used. 

But this is not theory, it is fad:, and has been 
proved again and again. It is on account of this 
that when any one faints he is immediately placed 
with his head low, so that the blood may flow to 
the head and brain and not stagnate in the great 
veins elsewhere. This is also why so many of us 
feel giddy, or perhaps inclined to faint, on rising 
suddenly from a sofa or couch, for then the blood 
suddenly flows down into these great veins of the 
body and leaves the brain without its proper quota 
for a moment or two. But by far the strongest 
proof is one that was told to me lately, and one 
which can, I believe, be found in many of the 
medical treatises. If a tame rabbit is taken and 
held in an upright position for about half an hour, 
it becomes unconscious. This is because the blood 
stagnates in the great veins of the abdomen, and 
enough does not reach its poor little brain to keep 
it adtive. More interesting, however, is a second 

[232] 



THE TORSO 

experiment, in which the animal's abdomen was 
tightly bandaged. It was then found that standing 
it upright had not the slightest effed: on it. The 
conclusion that must inevitably be forced on us all 
is that binding the waist has a distinctly beneficial 
effect on the circulation of the blood ; but this by 
no means exhausts the advantages we gain from 
the practise. 

The stay, if rightly cut and properly applied, 
helps us in breathing, thereby bringing more of 
the life-giving oxygen into our system, which re- 
news depleted nature, and assists us very materially 
in the production of the voice. On this I can 
speak with the authority born of experience. I 
have found it absolutely necessary to bind or lace 
in the abdomen. This support has greatly helped 
my voice to carry, and has enormously aided me 
in making myself heard right through a large con- 
cert hall or theater. I have played many long and 
trying parts. For several years I have played sum- 
mer and winter without a single break or holiday, 
and now I know full well that without the sup- 
port of stays I could never have undergone the 
strain of speaking or the fatigue of standing, nor 
could I have used my voice so unremittingly to 
the present day. 

Yet many decry the advantages of binding and 
declare that it interferes with breathing and speak- 
ing. To such would I answer: 

t 2 33] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

" For naught so vile that on the earth doth live 
But to the earth some special good doth give; 
Nor naught so good but strain* d from that fair use, 
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse : 
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, 
And vice sometimes by action dignified." 

Stays, if rightly used and shaped, undoubtedly 
do good; it is only misuse and faulty design that 
are injurious. I hold that most of the corsets at 
present on the market are quite wrong in design, 
and do not allow the free expansion of the lungs, 
nor do they do much to improve the graceful con- 
tour of the figure. They are, in fadt, instruments 
of torture, not aids to beauty. But is it fair to 
condemn altogether the use of this article of attire 
because some patterns are badly designed? Is it 
right that we should forego the advantages of bind- 
ing because some stays press on the wrong place? 

As most are at present cut they press on the hip 
bones and on the lower ribs. In the former place 
they are useless, as they cannot overcome the un- 
yielding strength of the bone; in the latter they 
interfere with the vital ad: of respiration. The 
proper place to bind, the place where every corset 
should press, is immediately above the hip bones, 
where the body is entirely unsupported by anything 
stronger or less yielding than muscle. To put it 
shortly, we only need support where Nature has 
given us none. The ordinary corsets one sees every 
day compress the lower ribs and displace down- 

l>34] 




Cora Brown Potter as Portia. 



•* 






THE TORSO 

ward the liver and other organs which lie near by. 
Such a disturbance must naturally cause serious 
symptoms. A corredtly designed stay, on the con- 
trary, binds in the waist below these organs and 
holds them up in place, as it were forming a sup- 
port on which they rest, and which prevents them 
from becoming accidentally misplaced. 

But this is not all. It is well known that breath- 
ing is mainly carried on by the diaphragm. This 
is a sheet of muscle which stretches across the 
body and divides the chest from the abdomen. 
By its contraction it increases the size of the chest 
and allows the lungs to expand. This happens 
when we inspire or breath in. On the other hand, 
when the diaphragm relaxes, the size of the chest 
is diminished ; the air which was in our lungs ac- 
cordingly rushes out, constituting the adt of ex- 
piration or breathing out. Now the diaphragm is 
anchored to the six lower ribs on either side, and 
in order that it may adt efficiently and with force, 
these ribs must be fixed and steadied so as to form 
a firm support from which it may pull. They 
must not, therefore, be pressed in from without, 
as by stays which press on them, as then the dia- 
phragm is hindered and cramped in its adtion and 
annot do its work efficiently. It is fortunate for 
he users of such corsets that we have other means 
of breathing. If, however, these lower ribs are 
supported in an expanded position, the diaphragm 
is placed in the very best state for performing its 

[ 2 35] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

full work and enabling us to drink in deep, life- 
giving drafts of pure, fresh oxygen. 

As to the aesthetic effe£t of the corsets such as I 
advocate, all I have to say is that I have always 
worn them. I have lived in the public eye for 
many years, I have visited every nation and dwelt 
under every sky, so in your hands, gentle sisters, do 
I leave the verdidt. Many of you have seen me 
either on the stage or off it ; I now ask you frankly 
and openly, is my figure worse or less sightly for 
binding in the manner I here advocate than if I 
followed the more usual custom ? I appoint you to 
be jury, and by your decision will I abide. 

Before leaving this interesting and important 
subject I wish, briefly, to recapitulate what I have 
just written, stating the more important points in 
the form of general laws: 

( i ) All methods of binding aid in the circula- 
tion of the blood. 

( 2 ) Most corsets hinder respiration, and tend to 
displace and distort many of the important inter- 
nal organs. 

( 3 ) It is possible, as I have demonstrated, to de- 
vise a corset which is free from these terrible objec- 
tions and at the same time produces a figure which 
is just as good as that given by any of the others. 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE TORSO 

I have explained, as far as in me lay, what I con- 
sider to be the advantages of binding in the figure, 

[236] 



THE TORSO 

but here I wish to point out that it is a mistake to 
depend entirely on such artificial supports. They 
should be only accessories and helps to us, not the 
sole staff on which we lean. We must not negleft 
the beautiful contrivances that Nature has given us 
to produce this pressure on our internal organs, 
which I hold to be so necessary for our health and 
well-being. The figure and carriage are not pro- 
duced primarily by stays, but by exercise. The 
corset should only be a secondary assistance. 

For this end we ought to exercise daily the 
muscles of the torso and keep them in a thoroughly 
healthy and vigorous condition. The nearer we 
approach perfect health in this resped: the less will 
the need of binding be felt, though there are few — 
very few — of us who can become strong enough 
to do without support, so that the rule that all 
women require binding is one that has but few 
exceptions. 

The simple exercises I here describe will be 
found to be amply sufficient for developing the 
torso and keeping the muscles in perfect condition ; 
in fad:, I do not think that anything more elabo- 
rate is either necessary or has any further advan- 
tages to offer. 

The first exercise consists in standing eredt with 
the feet a few inches apart and the hands and arms 
extended straight up over the head. Then slowly 
bend the body back as far as possible without dis- 
turbing the balance, and slowly return to the ereft 

[ 2 37] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

position. Next bend forward, still keeping the 
arms over the head, and return to the ered: posi- 
tion. Do this bending alternately backward and 
forward three or four times. 

The second is very similar, the only difference 
being that the body is bent alternately to the right 
and left. Stand as before and bend down to one 
side as far as possible, then straighten the body and 
bend in the opposite direction. In this exercise it 
may be of advantage to raise the right heel slightly 
off the ground when bending to the left, and vice 
versa. This should also be pradtised three or four 
times. 

In the third the body is twisted, not bent. Stand 
in the position for the first exercise, with the feet 
a few inches apart and the arms extended over the 
head. Then twist the body round to the right as 
far as possible, still keeping both feet firmly on the 
ground. Then return to the first position and do 
the same to the left. In this exercise it is impor- 
tant that both feet should be firmly kept on the 
ground, and also that the upper part of the body 
should be well rotated; in this way the swing is 
entirely confined to the waist and brought about 
by the muscles in that part. 

These exercises should be undertaken in the 
morning, after the morning tub, and before the 
corset or any other tight-fitting garment is put on. 
As one grows accustomed to them, the number of 
times each exercise is gone through may be slowly 

[238] 



THE TORSO 

increased, but it is never necessary to spend more 
than twenty minutes or half an hour over them. 
They should, however, be carefully carried out, 
each movement done slowly, and the body bent as 
far as possible each time. For those who do not 
feel physically equal to such a course, massage will 
be found to be of inestimable value. 

THE TORSO AND VOICE PRODUCTION 

I here take the opportunity of saying a few 
words on the production of the voice, or at least 
on the part the torso plays in this resped:. It is not 
my wish or intention to lay down any exadt or defi- 
nite rules for speaking; I merely wish to tell 
what I personally have found useful or necessary 
in my work. 

The most important faftor is, I believe, to be 
found in the corre<5t method of binding. The 
lower ribs must be free, nay more, they must be 
supported in a raised position. To achieve this the 
abdomen must be bound and supported as low 
down as possible, while the upper part of the cor- 
set should be left quite loose. In this way the 
chest can be kept expanded and full of air, form- 
ing, as it were, a sounding-board which will reso- 
nate with the voice, while the muscles that are 
called into play during respiration will then be 
able to a<5t to the best advantage. 

It is also necessary to stand firmly on the ground 
and to have the whole body well braced up. I 

[239J 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

found it impossible to speak if I wore high-heeled 
shoes, so now I always, whether on the stage or 
off it, wear shoes with very low heels. The high- 
heeled shoe throws a great strain on the muscles 
of the lower limbs and of the body, absorbing 
much of the energy which otherwise would have 
been concentrated in the voice, and thus a&ing 
detrimentally on its force and power. They are 
also very fatiguing for any one who has to stand 
much. Speaking when sitting or when slung from 
a piano-wire is extremely difficult, because one 
lacks the firm support of the ground under one's 
feet, which a&s as a fulcrum from which the body 
is braced. 

Lastly, the breath must be carefully husbanded, 
the lungs always kept well expanded and the pauses 
for breathing frequent and, as far as possible, at 
regular intervals. The dialogue on the stage gen- 
erally allows us plenty of breathing time, but it is 
very different when one has to recite a long, diffi- 
cult piece. Then careful study alone will show 
where the breathing pauses can come in. 

TYPES OF FIGURES 

Did it ever occur to you, gentle reader, to try 
and analyze some of the different types of figures 
we see so often in the streets? 

We see the slipshod, dowdy woman, with un- 
kempt locks, with an untidy, slovenly dress and a 
bent back, slouching along, seeming as if it were 

[240] 



THE TORSO 

too much trouble to stand eredt and look the world 
in the face. Such a one suffers from the effefts of 
"gravity." She has sunk so low that it is too 
much trouble for her to raise her hand to tidy her 
hair or to arrange her dress ; enervated, nerveless and 
listless, she wanders along ; and were it not that she 
is supported by the bones of her skeleton, she would 
certainly sink to the ground from sheer weariness. 
Then there is what may be called the masculine 
type, — the woman who walks about with an almost 
military gait, stiffly eredt in her carriage, dignified 
perhaps, yet lacking the subtle, elastic grace of 
femininity. I have seen excellent examples of this 
type in the negro women of the West Indies, and 
on the southern plantations, where, from the habit 
of carrying heavy loads on their heads, they have 
developed to the uttermost this type of carriage. 
But these women, on account of their greater 
muscular development, lose much of the ungainly 
stiltedness we sometimes see over here in the old 
world. I know that many admire such a carriage ; 
I admit it has very many good points; it is only 
when it is exaggerated that it becomes objection- 
able to the eye. It is a figure formed by straight 
lines, not by curves. The true beauty of the female 
figure lies in the delicate curves that form it; 
where these curves are absent the femininity is 
lacking and it resembles the male type. When a 
woman apes a man the result strikes the eye as in- 
congruous and unpleasant. 

[241] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

For long has it been recognized that the femi- 
nine figure is composed of curves, while the male 
is made up rather of straight lines and angles. 
This idea is presented in the old doggerel: 

" Straight are the lines of duty, 
Curved are the lines of beauty. 
Follow the first and thou wilt see 
The second soon shall come to thee." 

One interesting old writer on this subject tries 
to prove that all these curves are really parts of 
circles, and at great length enters into the question 
as to the exad: size and position of these circles. 
Some of his diagrams are, however, so intricate 
and complex that in the vast multitude of circles 
crossing and intersecting one another at every con- 
ceivable angle, the outline of the bust he describes 
is almost lost. Hogarth, in a book called "The 
Curves of Beauty," works out the same subject; 
but his methods are somewhat simpler, so that 
any one interested in this subject will find there a 
mine of information and great treasures of quaint 
original thought. Lately these beauty curves have 
been brought into prominence again, but in an ex- 
aggerated form, by the brush of Charles Dana 
Gibson. He has painted a type, which is really a 
recrudescence of the ancient Grecian bend, but a 
type which has since become very popular, a type 
of willow-like flexibility, of curves deeper and 
bolder than those usually seen, an outline sinuous 

[242] 



THE TORSO 

in the extreme, — in fact, a type of exaggerated 
femininity. 

But one more figure shall I mention — the pre- 
Raphaelite type. This figure, which the old mas- 
ters loved to depict, was lately revived, and enjoyed 
a brief spell of popularity owing to the influence 
of Burne-Jones' beautiful pictures. It is a straight, 
simple type, with a peculiar charm of its own, a 
type which, if the Gibson girl represents exag- 
gerated femininity, may be described as one of sup- 
pressed femininity. 

Thus in some of our sisters we see the stiff, an- 
gular form I have described, which lies, as it were, 
at one end of the scale; in others we see the 
Gibson girl type, which I would place at the other 
end; while between these two extremes, taking 
what is good from both, yet leaving to each its 
bad points, are thousands of different shades and 
styles, each suited to some particular form or de- 
velopment. Here do I leave the issue, gentle 
reader; I cannot point out what is best suited for 
each one of you, I can only indicate the broad 
generalities and ask you to choose for yourselves 
what each may think best, but beware, in avoid- 
ing Scylla you do not fall into Charybdis. We 
are all of us different, and each one of us can 
be perfect in her own way; each can create a 
style unto herself, one that cannot be copied or 
imitated exactly by any one else, one which fits 
us and us alone, and one which shows to the best 

[243] 



BEAUTY AND HEALTH 

advantage the grace and beauty of our own pecu- 
liar figure. Therefore, be individual and do not 
slavishly follow custom. 

Form is to me wonderful, compelling and pas- 
sionate, and there is something suggestively crea- 
tive in the torso that humanity cannot get away 
from. It is power, it does not flash or shimmer, 
but it is still ever present and deeply impressive; 
we can touch it, and it delights the touch, which 
is one of our senses. 

We can all acquire more or less fascinating, 
round torsos. Perhaps all are not born with straight 
legs and arms, but our torsos are soft, and we can 
so order our aliments, with proper attention to the 
machine called the body, that we can bring our 
torso into such shapeliness that we compel admira- 
tion for it and also acquire perfect comfort for our- 
selves, — for we must have comfort and ease, and 
with a supple torso we cannot fail in grace. Our 
eyes are the windows of our souls, and shine out 
pure and serene as part of the light within us. 
Our body is the case, and we can bind it in and 
up or let it go floppingly and carelessly through 
life, but if we have heart for ourselves we will not 
allow a part of us — and such an important part 
of us — to go to seed and make a mistake ; but we 
will help on what is, perhaps, some weak organ, 
and care for it until it is strong enough to face life 
and the world. We can all do a lot with our 
bodies. Do not let us negledt our torsos ; it means 

[ 2 44] 



THE TORSO 

health and beauty and form, which we must all go 
in for, and is just as conspicuous as our faces. 
What dignity, what caste, what class we can ex- 
press with our torsos! 



[ 2 45] 



EPILOGUE 

The truths andfaBs that make for health, set down 
in this little book, will, if followed, prove of infinite 
benefit. 

It is never too late in life to be healthy. The inter- 
esting moment with us all is the present; it builds our 
future ; the past is past. 

Health leads on to Beauty. And, remember, the 
same healthy blood rushes through our hearts and 
brains; it makes our hearts good and glowing and our 
brains clear and brilliant. If we use the best material, 
we must achieve the best results ; thus, in building up 
our bodies, we build up our souls, hearts and brains 
with great powers for good and for happiness. None 
of us know, with the spark of God-given perfection we 
each contain, to what heights we may climb. 

And now, fare thee well, dear reader. 

C. BROWN POTTER. 



[ 2 47] 



INDEX 

Acne Lotion, 168. Benzoin and Boric Lotion, 
Acne Mixture, Chlorate of 1 50. 

Potash, 169. Benzoin and Hazel Lotion, 
Almond Meal, 187. 150. 

Almond Paste, 187. Benzoin and Zinc Lotion, 
Aluminium Ointment, 155. 154. 

Alum and Sulphur Lotion, Biliousness, Pills for, 31. 

170. Blackheads, 160. 

Ammonia, Toilet ; Liquid, Blanc de Per/e, 145. 

68, 88. Bleaching the Hair, 115. 

Anaemia, 31. Blisters on the Feet, 218. 

Antimony, 3$. Blisters on the Lips, 180. 
Arabia, Virgin Balm of, 132. Borax Glycerin Jelly, 198. 

Arabia, Balm of, 132. Borax Glycerin Lotion, 204. 

Arnica Jelly, 198. Boric Acid Cream, 204. 

Arsenic, 34, 121. Brilliantine, 81. 

Asiatic Pills, 34. Brilliantine, Cologne, 82. 

Buttermilk, 158. 
Baldness, Preparations for, 

102. Calamine Sedative Lotion, 
Balm of Arabia, 132. 154. 

Balm of Arabia Virgin, 132. Camphor Ball, 200. 

Bath Pads, 71. Camphor Ice, 199. 

Bath Powders, 70. Camphor Ointment, 199. 

Bath Tablets, 71. Carbolic Glycerin Jelly, 
Benzoin Lotion, 149. 198. 

Benzoin and Alum Lotion, Carlsbad Salt, 26. 

150. Cascara, 30. 

Benzoin and Almond Chilblains, Application for, 

Lotion, 137. 213. 

[ 2 49] 



INDEX 



Chlorate of Potash Acne 

Mixture, 169. 
Cold in the Eye, 120. 
Cologne Brilliantine, 82. 
Constipation, 28. 
Corn Solvent, 209. 
Cracked Lips, 172. 
Cream, Boric Acid, 204. 
Cream, Cold, 146. 
Cream, Cucumber, 147. 
Cream, Glycerin, 197. 
Cream, Hazel, 205. 
Cream, Japanese Gelatin, 

211. 
Cream, Lanolin, 205. 
Cream, Lanolin Healing, 

155- 
Cream of Jasmine, 146. 

Cream of Violets, 146. 

Cream, Quince, 201. 

Cream, Witch-hazel, 212. 

Cream, Zinc and Witch- 
hazel, 150. 

Cucumber Cream, 147. 

Cucumber, Glycerin and, 
147. 

Cucumber, Glycerin and, 
Lotion, 147. 

Cucumber Ointment, 148. 

Cutting the Hair, 92. 

Dandruff, 96. 

Decoction of Quince Seed, 

201. 
Decolorization of Skin, 202, 

l> 



Dentifrices, 174, 181. 
Dyes for the Hair, 107, 117. 

Ear, Torn, 125. 
Ems Water, 26. 
Enamels, Massage, 136. 
Effervescing Bath Tablets, 

Effervescing Carlsbad Salt, 

26. 
Exercises for the Figure, 

237- 
Eyebrows, to Stimulate, 

118. 

Eyebrows, Meeting, 119. 

Eyelashes, 121. 

Eyelids, 119. 

Face Lotions and Creams, 

145. 
Face Powders, 142. 
Flower Water Lotion, 151. 
Foot Powders, 215. 
Freckles, 158. 
Friedrichshall Salt, 26. 
Furred Tongue, 1 80. 

Glove Pastes, 188. 

Glycerin, 196. 

Glycerin and Cucumber, 

147. 
Glycerin and Cucumber 

Lotion, 147. 
Glycerin Cream, 196. 
Glycerin Jellies, 197. 

50] 



INDEX 



Hair Creams, 82. 
Hair Dyes, 107-117. 
Hair Oils, 85. 
Hair Restorers, 105. 
Hair Tonics, 85. 
Harrogate Salts, 27. 
Harrogate Chalybeate Salt, 

27. 
Hazel Cream, 205. 
Healing Ointments, 155, 

173- 
Heat, Prickly, 49, 216. 

Henna, 112. 

Hunyadi-Janos Water, 28. 

Hunyadi Water, 27. 

Hydrated Magnesia, 30. 

Hydrogen, Peroxide of, 116, 

Itching, Lotion for, 152. 

Jaborandi Tonic, 86. 
Japanese Cream, 218. 
Japanese Gelatin Cream, 

211. 
Jasmine, Cream of, 146. 

Lait Virginal, 132. 
Lait d'Iris, 146. 
Lanolin Cream, 205. 
Lanolin Healing Cream, 

Liniment for Chilblains, 

213. 
Liniment, White, 222. 
Lip Salve, 172. 

[■* 



Liquid Powder, White, 138. 
Lotion, Acne, 168. 
Lotion, Alum and Sulphur, 

170. 
Lotion, Benzoated Soap, 

204. 
Lotion, Benzoin, 149. 
Lotion, Benzoin and 

Almond, 137. 
Lotion, Benzoin and Alum, 

150. 
Lotion, Benzoin and Boric, 

158. 
Lotion, Benzoin and Hazel, 

Lotion, Benzoin and Zinc, 

154. 
Lotion, Borax Glycerin, 204. 
Lotion, Calamine Sedative, 

154. 
Lotion, Flower Water, 151. 
Lotion for the Nose, 123. 
Lotion, Glycerin and 

Cucumber, 147. 
Lotion, Massage, 136. 
Lotion, Pilocarpine, 86. 
Lotion, Prickly Heat, 217. 
Lotion, Quince, 201. 
Lotion, Resorcin, 165. 
Lotion, Sodium Sulphite, 

199. 
Lotion, Sulphur, 165. 
Lotion, Sunburn, 156. 
Lotion, Witch-hazel, 149. 
Lotion, Zinc, 1 54. 

51] 



INDEX 



Magnesia, Hydrated, 30. 
Make-up Cream, 139. 
Manicure Ointment, 192. 
Manicure Powder, 192. 
Marienbad Water, 28. 
Massage Creams, 133. 
Massage Enamels, 136. 
Massage Lotions, 136. 
Massage of the Face, 133. 
Massage of the Feet, 222. 
Massage of the Gums, 178. 
Massage of the Scalp, 93. 
Medicated Baths, 68. 
Milk of Roses, 146. 

Nettle-rash, Cause of, 49. 
Nose Douche, 123. 

Ointment, Aluminium, 155. 
Ointment Camphor, 199. 
Ointment for the Ear, 126. 
Ointment for the Lips, 173. 
Ointment for Red Nose, 

123. 
Ointment, Healing, 155, 

173- 

Ointment, Resorcin, 165. 

Ointment, Sulphur, 166. 

Panama Bark, for Acne, 167. 
Paraffin, Internally, 37. 
Pearl White, 145. 
Peroxide of Hydrogen, 116. 
Peroxide of Hydrogen for 
the Nails, 192. 

[« 



Phenolphthaline, 30. 
Phosphorous Preparations, 

Pills, Asiatic, 34. 
Pills for Bilousness, 3 1 . 
Pilocarpine Lotion, 86. 
Pomades, 83. 
Poudre de Riz y 144. 
Powder for the Bath, 70. 
Powder for the Face, 142. 
Powder for the Feet, 215. 
Powder Liquid, 138. 
Powder, Prickly Heat, 218. 
Powder, Tooth, 1 74. 
Powder, White Liquid, 1$%. 
Prickly Heat, Cause of, 49. 
Prickly Heat Lotions, 217. 

Quince Creams, 201. 
Quince Lotion, 201. 
Quince Seed, Decoction of, 
201. 

Red Nose Ointment, 123. 
Resorcin Lotion for the 

Face, 165. 
Resorcin Lotion for the 

Gums, 179. 
Resorcin Lotion for the 

Hair, 98. 
Resorcin Ointment, 165. 

, Salicylic Acid, 99, 190. 
Saline Waters, 25. 
Salves for Lips, 172. 

52] 



INDEX 



Scented Almond Meal, 187. 
Scurf, Preparations for, 98. 
Shampoo, Egg, 89. 
Shampoo Powder, 9 1 . 
Shampoos, 89, 97. 
Shampoos, Dry, 90. 
Soap Lotions, 153. 
Soap, Sand, 186. 
Soap, Ways of Using, 163. 
Sodium Phosphate, 28. 
Sodium Sulphite Lotion, 

199. 
Sprays for the Hair, 91. 
Sties, 120. 

Sulphur for the Hands, 199. 
Sulphur, Internally, 25. 
Sulphur Lotions, 165. 
Sulphur Ointments, 166. 
Sunburn, 1 50. 
Sunburn, Cream for, 201. 
Sunburn Lotions, 156. 

Thymol Glycerin Jelly, 198. 



Toilet Ammonia, Liquid, 

68,88. 
Tonic, Jaborandi, 86. 
Tonics, 35. 

Tonic Soda Mixture, 168. 
Tooth Powders, 174. 

Vichy Chalybeate, 27. 
Violet Bath Powder, 70. 
Violet Powder, 144. 
Virgin Balm of Arabia, 132. 

Walnut Dye, 114. 
Walnut Hair-oil, 115. 
Walnut Pomade, 115. 
Warts, 189. 
Washing the Hair, 87. 
White Liquid Powder, 138. 
Witch-hazel Cream, 212. 
Witch-hazel Lotion, 149. 

Zinc and Witch-hazel 
Cream, 1 50. 



[253 J 




003 922 



5219 • 



